Pharmacies can help unlock lockdowns.
Australian State, Territory and Federal Governments need to urgently activate all approved community pharmacies as COVID-19 vaccination sites to break the country’s lockdown cycle.
Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) National President, Associate Professor Chris Freeman, called for all qualified immunisers to be engaged in the national vaccination rollout.
“Pharmacists are already administering COVID-19 vaccines in some community pharmacies in remote and rural areas, in vaccination hubs and in GP clinics around the country,” he said.
“But we have thousands of other community pharmacists who are ready and raring to go to help protect their communities.
“Ensuring as many Australians as possible can access vaccinations is critical if we are to keep ahead of this deadly disease.
“Allowing community pharmacists to vaccinate across Australia will massively increase ease and accessibility.”
Freeman stressed the push for pharmacists to join the campaign was “not about funding, politics or protecting turf”.
“This is a pandemic, and PSA’s interests lie in enabling pharmacists to support their patients and public health during this time,” he said.
“Governments need a patient-centric approach to put the community first.”
See tomorrow’s edition of Pharmacy Daily for more.
