DEMAND for vaccination services through community pharmacies is set to continue beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President, Trent Twomey, believes.
Speaking at the Guild's Pharmacy Industry Roadshow in Sydney on Mon, Twomey noted that "since Apr this year community pharmacies have given more COVID-19 vaccines than every other provider added together".
In addition to the sector's increased role in COVID-19 vaccination, Twomey said community pharmacy now provides 24% of influenza vaccines.
"Flu vaccines and vaccination is probably the most real, tangible [and] visible representation of our transition to full scope of practice," he said.
"I know there has been an awful lot of volume of vaccinations over the past 24 months, mainly because of COVID-19.
"Those volumes, don't expect them to disappear, because you are going to be, not the late-comer as we all were with COVID-19, you'll be the provider of first choice for protecting Australians and their families against vaccine preventable diseases."
Twomey added that the decommissioning of State and Territory vaccination hubs would further increase demand for community pharmacy-based vaccine services.
He told attendees at the roadshow that over the last four years general practice's share of flu vaccines had declined.
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