NPSA members have adjusted delivery schedules and seconded other resources to deliver essential medicines during the unprecedented bushfire emergency in New South Wales and Queensland.
Team members at Symbion, Sigma and API warehouses along the eastern seaboard have been remapping distribution routes and working with emergency services to ensure pharmaceutical deliveries can be made to patients in communities impacted by the fires.
NPSA Chairman Mark Hooper says that extra efforts put in by staff in fire affected communities underlines the commitment of all NPSA members to ensuring Australians can always access critical medicines, even in times of crisis.
“As part of this, our members are working closely with the federal and state governments to support the emergency medicine provisions that are currently in place for parts of New South Wales and Queensland,” said Mr Hooper.
In addition to pharmaceutical deliveries to patients, Sigma partnered with suppliers to provide broader community support by offering free everyday household products to drought and fire- affected families at Amcal, Guardian and Discount Drug Stores in the Tenterfield (NSW), Warwick (QLD) and Stanthorpe (QLD) areas.
“These communities are doing it tough, and we saw an opportunity to help through our branded stores,” said Mr Hooper, who is also CEO of Sigma.
“We collaborated with suppliers to donate and send close to $60,000 worth of everyday essential items to stores for distribution through the community.”
Symbion NSW Operations Manager Paul Sporbert says there have been instances where sudden road closures have meant a change in plan.
“In one instance, we secured refrigerated trailers from a couple of logistics companies to use as temperature-controlled storage at their Newcastle depots. This meant that, while we hadn’t been able to get to them the day before, we were able to get deliveries through to customers around three hours earlier once the roads opened than if we had started from Sydney,” said Mr Sportbert.
API has continued to provide a continuous supply of medicines to every fire-affected area and has financially assisted local pharmacies to give their communities the supplies they need.
For further information contact Myles Wallace on 0432 866 094 or mwallace@micwar.com.au
