State and Territory governments are being urged to act swiftly to add community pharmacies to their COVID-19 vaccination (COVAX) rollout plans.
Pharmacy Guild of Australia Victorian Branch President, Anthony Tassone, noted that measures announced in the Victorian Government Gazette last week, authorised pharmacist immunisers to work in different settings to administer COVAX.
The authorisation included conditions around the locations pharmacists can administer the vaccines, including hospitals and mass vaccination centres.
"With the statement from National Cabinet in April that States and Territories can choose to incorporate community pharmacies into their rollout plans for the COVID-19 vaccine in rural and remote areas where there is no or limited other points of access -- the Guild is actively advocating across all States and Territory governments for pharmacies to be utilised in their jurisdictions," he said.
"It appears that limitations of stock allocation and uncertainty of the volumes of stock that will be received in the coming weeks and months, is having an influence at the State level in some jurisdictions in including community pharmacies in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the immediate term.
"Now that the Commonwealth have completed their review of the expression of interest (EOI) process and deemed almost 4,000 pharmacies nationally as 'suitable' to participate in the rollout -- now is the time for State and Territory Departments of Health and governments to include pharmacies in their COVID-19 vaccine roll out plans especially in areas of limited patient access."
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 13 May 21
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 13 May 21
