13/10/2026
When Associate Professor Mary Bushell studied pharmacy 20 years ago, pharmacists didn’t administer any injections. But as the scope of the profession has grown over the last decade, UC has expanded its offering to ensure graduates are workforce ready.
That expansion is behind the University’s latest open-source textbook, Administering Vaccines and Medicines by Injection: A Comprehensive Guide for Pharmacy, edited by Associate Professor Bushell.
“Last year UC became one of the first universities in Australia to graduate pharmacy students trained and ready to administer medicines by injection, not just vaccines,” she said. “The evolution in pharmacy practice is really what sits behind this book.”
The textbook has multidisciplinary contributors, including Psychology’s Associate Professor Phil Kavanagh, who authored a chapter on needle phobia, and physiotherapist Laura Mackenzie, who is completing her PhD in the field of safe vaccine administration, bringing anatomy expertise to minimise errors.
The book is the second of seven open access texts to be released, following an internal CreatEquity grant to support UC authors.
Mara Eversons, Director of Student Life said open access textbooks remove costs and make high-quality learning resources available to all students.
“The impact of this textbook extends well beyond the University of Canberra. The resource is freely available to practicing pharmacists, educators, alumni and learners across Australia, including those from regional and remote communities.”
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