PRIMARY Health Networks (PHNs) in Melbourne should give requests for face masks from community pharmacies priority when distributing National Medical Stockpile supplies, Pharmacy Guild of Australia Victorian Branch President, Anthony Tassone, believes.
Speaking to Pharmacy Daily, Tassone said pharmacists in metropolitan Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire, where stage three lockdown restrictions were reintroduced last week, were determined to support their communities in tackling the COVID-19.
With the Victorian Chief Health Officer and Premier advising that people should wear face masks when going out in public where social distancing my be difficult, Tassone said there was an "absolute need that community pharmacies must have a level of priority for access to masks".
"We just need PHNs to be able to respond to requests from pharmacies who ask for these masks for their staff and to give to patients when they're referring them on," he said.
"There has been very mixed feedback about how responsive and helpful PHNs were earlier in the pandemic, and whilst they might have had limited stock themselves or perhaps a lack of clarity of who they should have been distributing them to, really this time around in metro Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire at least, with the recommendation to wear masks where social distancing is not possible or difficult, if a pharmacy requests them full and prompt consideration is absolutely necessary."
Tassone added that while masks act as an extra barrier against the virus, maintaining social distancing and practicing good hand hygiene was critical.
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