Pharmacy Daily | Pharmacist vaccination vital for NSW

STRICTER restrictions imposed in NSW this morning are a reflection that the state will be unable to reopen until pharmacists can vaccinate against COVID-19, according to the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA).

The PSA noted statements by State Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, who yesterday said NSW cannot live with the Delta variant of the pandemic unless a certain proportion of the population are vaccinated.

"However she continues to sideline the almost 5,000 pharmacist vaccinator workforce in NSW," said PSA NSW Branch President, Chelsea Felkai (pictured).

Felkai said there was still no explanation from the NSW Government as to why pharmacist involvement in the rollout is still incredibly limited.

"Last week, Premier Berejiklian announced that only 22 community pharmacies across the state will commence vaccinating patients with the AstraZeneca vaccine from mid-Jul," she said.

"We have almost 5,000 skilled, trusted and experienced pharmacist vaccinators across NSW, and the Government has refused to tell us why they are not being utilised.

"The announcement last week of a positive case at one of the vaccination hubs reaffirms the importance of accessing these vaccines within your local community, whether that be through your local GP or pharmacist," Felkai added.

Further restrictions announced today by Berejiklian include limiting outdoor public gatherings to just two people, an order that people must stay within 10km of their home for exercise and outdoor recreation, a maximum of 10 people at a funeral and a ban on browsing in shops, with only one person per household allowed to leave the home for shopping.

The PSA NSW President said "at a time when we are also encouraging NSW residents to stay local, local pharmacists are the obvious choice".

Felkai also urged much wider use of pharmacist vaccinators in settings such as vaccination hubs and aged care.

"Our nursing colleagues have been doing a lot of the heavy lifting in terms of workforce surge, and we don't want to see them burn out," she said.

"We need to utilise our full vaccinator workforce, including local pharmacists."

Felkai noted that the Federal Government's indemnity scheme already covers pharmacists administering COVID-19, adding that "PSA is dedicated to supporting pharmacists in delivering the COVID-19 vaccine both safely and effectively to the public, and pharmacists are on standby to support the strategy".