Strategies to prevent unwarranted criticism of professions that extend their services: The case of pharmacist-administered vaccinations

Many professions strive to extend their gamut of services, yet other professions may attempt to stifle these changes. For example, in Australia, the prospect that pharmacists are permitted to administer vaccinations in some jurisdictions has ignited strident criticism from other professional bodies, including the Australian Medical Association. These criticisms may diminish the confidence of consumers and, therefore, stymie the attempts of professions to extend their services. The aim of this paper is to uncover strategies that professional bodies can implement to prevent unwarranted criticism. This paper first identifies the biases that evoke these criticisms, such as inflated judgements of the status quo. Second, this paper shows that these biases can be ascribed to a specific mindset, in which individuals feel dissociated from future aspirations. Finally, this paper delineates practices that may redress these biases, such as a retreat in which the proposal to extend services is discussed in collaboration with other professional bodies, years before the intended changes.