Pharmacy Guild: Regional pharmacies vital for Covid vaccine rollout in Queensland

Businesses across Central Queensland have administered more than half of the total doses allocated to the region. And it’s not just locals that are getting jabbed - tourists are too.

The National President of the Pharmacy Guild, Trent Twomey, said regional pharmacies were integral as part of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout. PICTURE: STEWART McLEAN

Regional pharmacies have delivered half of the total vaccines administered in regional and rural areas across the state.

A Pharmacy Guild spokesman said these regional services were integral as part of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, and had been highlighted by the experience of pharmacies Central Queensland.

Five pharmacies at Barcaldine, Bowen and Chinchilla have delivered more than 3000 of the total 6000 doses of the vaccine allocated to regional, rural and remote pharmacies in Queensland, with each town accounting for roughly 1000 doses each.

The initiative in Barcaldine meant Queensland Health didn’t have to set up a state-run facility to administer the second dose of the vaccination to patients.

Barcaldine Pharmacy pharmacist Reza Safaei-Hosseinpour said he found many people attending for their vaccination were passing through the town.

“We are a bit of a transit hub, so we have had a lot in interstate people getting their second shot here,” he said.

As a one-pharmacist operation he said being organised and adopting good time management techniques were critical.

“I would encourage every pharmacy to take up the option of providing the COVID-19 vaccinations if they are eligible,” Mr Safaei-Hosseinpour said.

“But you have to manage your time. I have a two-hour window in the middle of each day when I don’t do any vaccinations and I can catch up on my other work.

“I also set a limit on how many vaccinations I will give in any one day to keep the whole process manageable.”

The two LiveLife pharmacies in Bowen have already delivered about 1300 doses between them.

“We are doing a lot of second doses for tourists and people coming up from southern states to spend winter in the north, so they come in for their second shot,” owner Rebecca Edgerton said.

“We have done up to 35 vaccinations a day but 20 is a good manageable workload.

“The local GP clinics may not have the staff to undertake the COVID-19 vaccination programs, so they refer people to us because we have the systems and trained staff in place.”

The National President of the Pharmacy Guild, Trent Twomey, said the pharmacies in regional communities were examples of how to successfully run a COVID-19 vaccination program through community pharmacies.

“The commitment of these pharmacies and they work they have done in preparing to protect their communities is a credit to the profession.,” he said.

“Their accessibility has meant people in these non-metropolitan areas have been given the opportunity to get their COVID-19 vaccination.

“Pharmacies being open after normal business hours and on weekends, or just being there when patients need them, are critical elements in the push for maximum uptake of the vaccinations.”