Pharmacy Daily | RACGP backs Moderna COVAX move

PLANS to rollout Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine (COVAX) exclusively through community pharmacy "makes sense", Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) President, Dr Karen Price, believes.

Under the Federal Government's rollout plan, community pharmacies currently involved in the COVAX rollout campaign will be allocated doses of the Moderna mRNA vaccine from mid-Sep.

Following a meeting with National COVAX Taskforce Coordinator, Lieutenant General John Frewen, Price told the RACGP's NewsGP publication that the decision would support a streamlined rollout.

"The idea is that it's nice and streamlined from a signalling point-of-view that Moderna's at pharmacies and Pfizer's at general practice," she said.

"It helps with distribution, it helps with logistics, and it helps with messaging.

"Eventually it may change, but at this foreseeable time - as we're onboarding and really maturing the vaccination rollout - it's really important to get that early messaging right."

Speaking at the Pharmacy Guild of Australia's COVAX update webinar last week, Frewen said he did not "see any benefit in mixing Moderna into GP networks".

"I think that having the choice across that really broad [pharmacy] network is the best thing," he said.

The General added that he was conducting a review of the logistics networks, potentially opening the door for Community Service Obligation (CSO) wholesalers to take on a role in the distribution of COVAX supplies to pharmacies.

"I am not responsible for life beyond the initial rollout," he said.

"But I am working to set the conditions for life beyond the initial vaccine rollout, because what I don't want to do is put in place things that are bespoke, artificial and aren't how we will do boosters going forward, that's why I'm having a look at the logistics networks.

"I understand why some things were put in place [the way they were], because of the very specific requirements around Pfizer - particularly early on - but I'm keen to stay engaged [with the Guild]."

Guild National President, Trent Twomey, told Frewen that "any closer look you could give the CSO network for the distribution of vaccines would be greatly appreciated".