FEDERAL Health Minister, Greg Hunt, is being urged to reconsider plans for logistics specialist, Linfox, to be the exclusive distributor of COVID-19 vaccines (COVAX), and allow Community Service Obligation (CSO) wholesalers to support the national rollout.
Speaking during a webinar last week, Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President, George Tambassis, said there were still a number of 'unknowns' regarding the distribution of vaccines and consumables to pharmacies.
"There are aspects [of the COVAX campaign] that we are still unsure of and we are working hard to get this information to you soon," he said.
"How are you going to actually order the vaccines? Where are you going to get the consumables from?
"I can tell you the Government has decided to use Linfox exclusively for these vaccines, but we're advocating pretty hard to get the CSO wholesalers involved as well, because obviously the CSO wholesalers deliver to your pharmacy on a daily basis.
"We've got no problem with bringing in a competitor, but let's not make it an exclusive direct supply problem again, as we've always advocated against.
"We've written to the Minister and asked 'why have you decided to use Linfox as an exclusive distributor?'
"'We have no issue with Linfox being part of the solution, but you should also be using the CSO wholesalers, because for pharmacies it's easier for us to order from those particular wholesalers'."
Tambassis said the Government had yet to clarify what consumable materials required for the COVAX rollout will be provided to pharmacies and whether pharmacies will have to purchase them, adding that vaccine allocations for pharmacies had yet to be confirmed.
He added that the Guild was "acutely aware of the strategic importance of the successful COVID-19 vaccination program through community pharmacy and the opportunities this may open up".
Tambassis said a successful rollout of the COVAX campaign could see pharmacists gain access to the National Immunisation Program across the whole country in line with the Guild's full scope of practice strategy.
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