MOVES to activate community pharmacies as COVID-19 vaccination sites is welcome, but the profession is "exasperated" by the Federal Government's delay in extending the immunisation services to the sector, pharmacist and Shadow Assistant Minister for Mental Health, Emma McBride, says.
Addressing the House of Representatives yesterday, McBride, said pharmacists were "ready and they've been prepared" for months.
"I've heard from so many pharmacists who are just exasperated," she said.
"They put in expressions of interest back in Feb and welcomed the Health Minister's announcement earlier in the year that they'd be part of the rollout.
"But up until now very few of them have been part of the vaccine rollout.
"In my community [on the NSW Central Coast], they've only been able to start this week.
"What we know is that in countries across the world where pharmacists have been involved in the vaccine rollout they have seen higher rates of vaccination.
"We know that in some countries we've seen rates of 60 to 70% where they have relied on a network of pharmacists and GPs who are known in their local community and who are trusted.
"In communities where there's no other health support, there's often a pharmacy there.
"While I welcome pharmacists' involvement in the vaccine rollout, I am so disappointed, as are pharmacists across Australia, that their skills and expertise weren't drawn on earlier.
"They've just been sidelined, waiting to contribute, to do their bit to help with the vaccine rollout."
McBride also raised concerns over moves to redirect doses of the Pfizer vaccine allocated for patients on the Central Coast for school students in Sydney.
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