Vaccine storage in pharmacies on the Central Coast of New South Wales.

Pharmacies on the Central Coast of NSW were surveyed to assess the ability of refrigerators used for vaccine storage to maintain the recommended temperature range (2 to 8 degrees C). Refrigerators used for vaccine storage were monitored over a 3-day period using a temperature data logger. Fifty-nine (59) retail pharmacies were identified. The response rate was 90% (53/59) and 52 refrigerators were monitored successfully. Only 10 (19%) of the refrigerators maintained temperatures wholly within the recommended range for the 3-day monitoring period. The remaining refrigerators were considered in three groups--refrigerators keeping temperatures in the range 0.1 to 11.9 degrees C, below 0 degree C and above 8 degrees C for most of the time. There were 15 (29%), 12 (23%) and 15 (29%) refrigerators in these groups respectively keeping temperatures in the recommended range for 91%, 19% and 30% of the time. Of the refrigerators achieving temperatures below 0 degree C, none went below -5 degrees C and on average they kept temperatures less than 0 degree C for 49% of the time. This survey highlights the need for vigilance in vaccine storage for immunisation programs to be successful. Of the vaccines affected by freezing, hepatitis B vaccine was identified as being most at risk.