PHARMACIES have until one minute to midnight (AEST) to register to join Australia's COVID-19 vaccination (COVAX) campaign, or miss out completely, Pharmacy Guild of Australia National President, Trent Twomey, warns.
Speaking during a Guild webinar last night Twomey urged the more than 5,800 Quality Care Pharmacy Program (QCPP) approved stores across the country to sign up before tonight's 11.59pm deadline.
"This is the absolute cut-off, you will not be given an extension," he said.
"I strongly encourage all of you to register and become approved.
"[I know] some of you may be hesitant to participate and I understand that.
"You can still choose not to order vaccines [once you've registered], but you cannot opt-in at a later date.
"Please participate. Please become approved."
During the webinar Twomey announced that the Guild will launch a public relations campaign urging Australians "if you're over 18 get the vaccine".
"The goal is for all Australians to be fully vaccinated by a community pharmacy," he said.
"The outcome of this campaign will be to push and pull people to community pharmacy to get vaccinated, and it will have a lasting legacy.
"It will not only increase trust in the public's mind of community pharmacy, but it will also help us increase the vaccine services available through community pharmacy.
"I know that in the not too distant future all Australians will be able to be vaccinated against all diseases through their community pharmacy.
"This is a big opportunity for all of us to put the shoulder to the wheel to not only ensure that lockdowns are a thing of the past in 2022, but to have a great leap forward in our scope of practice agenda."
Twomey also confirmed that the Federal Government removed requirements for "new Australians" to present a Medicare card to receive the vaccine, after pharmacists in western Sydney aired concerns that many recent arrivals had not being issued a card.
"It is still a requirement for Australians with a Medicare card to give you their Medicare card, because it is an important part of ensuring that record and occasion of service is uploaded to the Australian Immunisation Register," he said.
"But what it does is it no longer precludes those new Australians who do not have a Medicare card from receiving the service.
"It is in all our interests to ensure that all of our community is vaccinated."
Registered stores will receive vaccines by 23 Aug at the latest.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 29 Jul 21
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