In a few short weeks, pharmacists have rapidly administered over 100,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, according to data from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR).
The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) National President, Associate Professor Chris Freeman, expressed his admiration of the pharmacy profession’s contribution to the rollout to date.
“Today’s data from the AIR is very pleasing, as more than 100,000 doses have been administered by pharmacists across our country.
“Considering that only a fraction of Australia’s pharmacists have commenced vaccinating in recent weeks, these numbers are quite staggering. Imagine the vaccination rates once all approved pharmacists are on-boarded.
“This data underpins the trust that Australians place in their local pharmacists to protect them against this deadly disease.
“I acknowledge the pharmacists who have been vaccinating through GP clinics, respiratory clinics, and vaccination hubs since day one of the vaccine rollout – they have paved the way for community pharmacist involvement in the strategy. I commend those pharmacies who have remained open beyond business hours and on weekends as they work toward safeguarding their communities.
“Vaccination by pharmacists is the patient-centric approach that Australians need and deserve – and this is the tip of the iceberg for the impact they can have on the vaccine rollout,” says Associate Professor Freeman.
PSA looks forward to the arrival of the Moderna vaccine in mid-September and is dedicated to supporting pharmacists in delivering all Covid-19 vaccines both safely and effectively to the public.
