Pharmacy Daily | Vic releases COVID infection data

CONFIRMATION that 65 Victorian pharmacists have tested positive for COVID-19 "makes a mockery" of suggestions the pharmacy workforce does not face an increased risk of infection, former Pharmaceutical Society of Australia CEO, Shane Jackson, believes.

Commenting on data released by the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), which revealed a total of 3,286 health workers in the State have contracted the virus, Jackson said the figures showed pharmacists were an at-risk group, despite submissions to the Fair Work Commission (FWC), which suggested infection control measures used in pharmacies made them lower risk.

"[This] makes a mockery of submissions to Fair Work that suggested pharmacists weren't at greater risk of COVID-19," he said.

Pharmacy Guild of Australia Victorian Branch President, Anthony Tassone, said the breakdown of data relating to health worker infections was welcome, noting "it is a concern when any of our frontline health workers, including pharmacists test positive for COVID".

"Community pharmacies were very quick to adapt their practices to help minimise the risk of infection during the first wave of COVID-19.

"Thankfully there have been far fewer reports from pharmacies of their staff waiting for test results as the quicker turnaround for any necessary contact tracing is essential to help tackle this pandemic, as well as allowing our essential workers to return to work as soon as they can.

"For any positive COVID-19 test result in a community pharmacy -- this will result in a likely shutdown of that pharmacy and isolation and quarantine of any staff who were close contacts.

"The Guild again calls on the Victorian government to make funding available to offset the professional clean down costs for primary healthcare practices, including pharmacies should this occur.

"There are pharmacies genuinely struggling financially during the COVID-19 pandemic without the added burden of clean down costs if this was to happen."