Following the comments from Health Minister, The Hon Greg Hunt during his keynote speech at the APP conference last week, recognising the important role of community pharmacies on the frontline during the pandemic, and news that pharmacists across the country should start administering Covid-19 vaccines later this year, Blooms The Chemist CEO Phil Smith says they are “ready to start the wider delivery of the vaccination program to their communities” once the “official timeline is confirmed”.
“Blooms The Chemist is pleased to hear the broader rollout of community pharmacy inclusion to accelerate the Covid-19 vaccination program will get underway later this year,” says Mr Smith.
“Community pharmacies across the country will provide millions of Australians the option to be vaccinated in their local pharmacy, supporting existing vaccination hubs and General Practitioners.
“Blooms The Chemists pharmacists have been receiving questions from customers on a regular basis, asking when they can be vaccinated and advice on the vaccination itself.”
Mr Smith adds that the announcement at APP provides “some clarity around our role in the execution of the nation’s vaccination rollout” and that “Blooms The Chemist pharmacies around the country are waiting at the ready to begin administering vaccinations”.
Reportedly, expressions of interest from Blooms The Chemist community pharmacies to participate in the delivery of the vaccine to priority populations from Phase 2a of the national rollout strategy were completed earlier this year.
This process was subject to criteria set by the Pharmacy Programs Administrator on behalf of the Department of Health.
“With a network of almost 110 pharmacies nationally and growing, after [the APP] announcement, Blooms The Chemist will shortly be able to confirm which stores will administer the vaccination,” says Mr Smith.
“Covid-19 has had a profound impact on our industry and delivered learnings that we continue to make sense of.
“Our active participation in the vaccination program, in stores owned by locals where our teams form genuine, trusted relationships with their customers, is important.
“Our participation in the country’s vaccination efforts is one of the most important health programs we will play and elevates our stature and our role in the delivery of healthcare in our communities,” he concludes.
