PROVIDENCE — A year after legislation allowing them to administer vaccines was passed, a group of Rhode Island pharmacists were at the State House yesterday to give it their first shots.

The event, dubbed The Face of Pharmacy, was sponsored by the Rhode Island Pharmacists Association, the Rhode Island Society of Health Systems Pharmacists and the University of Rhode Island, and was intended to debut the first group of Rhode Island pharmacists who have been trained to give shots. Dozens of URI pharmacy students were there to look on.

Kelly Orr, a URI clinical assistant professor of pharmacy and president of the Rhode Island Pharmacists Association, said 11 URI faculty members have completed the 20-hour training program needed to qualify to train pharmacists to administer vaccines. She said that group has trained 30 state pharmacists.

Rhode Island joins 46 other states that allow pharmacists to give shots. In Rhode Island, pharmacists can only give shots to adults. Children still have to get vaccinations from a doctor or nurse.

The idea behind letting pharmacists administer vaccinations is that in cases such as the flu, it provides those seeking the shots with more places to go and helps get vaccinations out to a greater number of people faster.

“This provides another opportunity for pharmacists to be part of the health-care team,” Orr said. “It brings pharmacists in this state up to the standard of practice throughout the rest of the nation. We are expanding services and increasing access to vaccinations for all adults in Rhode Island.”

Jeff Bratbert, a clinical assistant professor of pharmacy at URI, said the new program allows pharmacists to educate patients as well.

“Some people work all day and are unable to get to a doctor’s office or flu clinic when they are open,” Bratbert said, “so being able to get the flu shot at the pharmacy is a major convenience.”

jhill@projo.com