DRIVEN by the desire to play a part in the push to get 80% of Australians vaccinated against COVID-19 and restore a semblance of normality to the community is a major factor behind Narwee Pharmacy co-owner, Joe Keledjian's decision to join the vaccine rollout.
The family owned pharmacy located in southwest Sydney, joined the COVID-19 vaccination (COVAX) campaign on Sat, with Keledjian administering doses to 50 patients - including 20 walk-ins and an elderly couple in their 90s.
The store has set up a weekly vaccine clinic, which has seen additional staffing requirements and related costs, with the goal of supporting the community.
"We wanted to be part of this rollout because it's a community service really," he said.
"We're aware that pharmacies are very well positioned to deliver this very easily - most of us have been vaccinating for a long time.
"It's a lot of extra effort and extra work.
"This is not a financial thing - let's face it, the remuneration isn't fantastic, and truth is with the amount of staff I had to put on for that clinic I quite possibly went backwards that day, but 50 more people were vaccinated.
"The focus is the community - it always is, and now more than ever it is... and I think community pharmacy is part of that whole link of being able to get this done."
Keledjian told Pharmacy Daily that the patients he vaccinated last weekend were a mix of people getting their first doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and patients who had received their initial shot from their GP, but weren't comfortable going back to the surgery due to its location or the doctor had closed the clinic's doors due to COVID-19.
"It's a shame that pharmacy wasn't engaged earlier in the process," he said.
"[But] now that we're up and running we've just go to look forward and just get this to 80% as quick as we can."
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