Pharmacy Guild National president, Professor Trent Twomey, has revealed community pharmacies across Australia have now delivered more than five million COVID -19 vaccinations.
The figures show with crystal clarity how pharmacies have accelerated the national effort to protect against COVID-19.
Professor Twomey said when pharmacies were brought into the national effort in late July, Australia was facing significant economic and social disruption from COVID.
He says: “The acceleration is sharp.”
“Pharmacies delivered three million vaccinations by Christmas Eve, then four million by 18 January and by the first week of February more than five million.
“Our pharmacists and pharmacy assistants may be exhausted, but they can be jubilant over how they have contributed to our nation’s wellbeing.
“They have delivered an extraordinary achievement, over a relatively short period of time.
“Now, as we see many aspects of our life resuming closer to normal, we have our pharmacists and pharmacy assistants to thank.”
Professor Twomey stressed that community pharmacies were open and trading when much of Australia was taking a well-earned Christmas-New Year break.
“Our people have worked tirelessly including through the Christmas-New Year period to deliver vaccinations, over and above their other daily responsibilities,” he said.
“Our trusted, highly professional community pharmacies are leading in our national effort to get back to normal – or at least to a ‘new normal.”
The five million vaccinations have been achieved through bookings with pharmacies by phone or in person, ‘walk’-ins’, corporate vaccination programs overseen by the Pharmacy Guild or through Find a Pharmacy which remains in heavy demand, including for boosters.
