MOVES to recruit community pharmacists to administer COVID-19 vaccinations hubs by the Victorian Government do not make sense, Pharmacy Guild of Australia Victorian Branch President, Anthony Tassone, believes.
Responding to the Victorian Department of Health's decision to hire community pharmacists to support its vaccination centres, rather than activating pharmacies as COVID-19 vaccine sites, Tassone accused the State Government of "robbing Peter to pay Paul".
"The notion that eligible community pharmacists be used to bolster the vaccination hubs ignores the fact that these community pharmacies are ready, and able, to provide these vaccinations in their pharmacies," he said.
"More than 800 pharmacies in Victoria have been deemed eligible to provide COVID-19 vaccinations and yet the Victorian Government has only seen fit to bring on board eight of them located in regional areas.
"But the Government is quite happy to cannibalise this community pharmacy trained workforce to try to beef up its mass vaccination hubs, while the most visited and accessible primary healthcare destination being pharmacies continue to sit on the sidelines.
"This approach just doesn't make sense and it's time the Government shows it is serious about protecting Victorians by onboarding every eligible community pharmacy in the State.
"Victorians deserve nothing less."
While Tassone voiced his frustrations at the State Government's decision, union group, Professional Pharmacists Australia (PPA), has welcomed the move to engage pharmacist immunisers.
PPA President, Geoff March, said it was critical that pharmacists were engaged to work to the full extent of their scope of practice to boost vaccination rates across the State.
"We have long advocated that community pharmacy be integrated into the health system and not be seen or treated in isolation, for example, in establishing the opportunity for pharmacists to work alongside medical practitioners in doctors' surgeries," he said.
"It's absolutely fantastic to see pharmacists assist in delivering COVID-19 vaccines at Victoria's mass vaccination hubs."
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 28 Jun 21
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