Pharmacists left out in the cold plead to join Covid-19 vaccine rollout

Pharmacists in Sydney’s multicultural southwest who missed out on taking part in the vaccine rollout are calling on the government to allow them to join.

Pharmacist Angela Song, in Sydney’s inner southwest, says she is longing to vaccinate her multicultural customers but the authorities won’t let her. Picture: Ryan Osland

Pharmacists in Sydney’s multicultural southwest who missed out on taking part in the vaccine rollout are demanding the government allow them to join, with many reporting they were barred from signing on despite being uniquely placed to reach isolated communities.

While 800 pharmacies across the nation are expected to receive their first doses in the next two weeks many practitioners in the most crucial Covid hotspot council areas of Fairfield, Liverpool and Canterbury-Bankstown have been forced to sit on the sidelines.

Pharmacist Angela Song, who has run Campsie Station Pharmacy for almost 30 years, criticised the government for closing the vaccine rollout to new participants who didn’t apply before a February 5 cut-off, saying her community was now in crisis.

“In this Canterbury-Bankstown area it’s a very highly multicultural area, I have customers predominantly of non-English speaking backgrounds, we cater for Korean, Chinese and Vietnamese clientele,” she said.

“We are one of the frontline people who they seek; they trust me enough to ask questions and respect my opinion in regards to their health.”

Ms Song said she would gladly join the rollout but had been unable to register her interest due to the “first come, first serve” policy imposed.

“It’s just the frustration when the government is trying to be a bit more exclusive with the rollout and then saying not enough people are vaccinated, it’s quite silly really,” she said.

Pharmacist Elias Fajiloun said his Kingsgrove chemist Chapel Street Pharmacy, which caters to the area’s Arabic speaking community, had also received hundreds of inquiries about the vaccine from interested customers but had received no update on whether they could participate since they applied.

Mr Fajiloun wrote to NSW chief health officer Kerry Chant this week, questioning the “inexplicable way” pharmacies had been selected, and received a response saying she would be taking it up with the federal government.

“I believe we have the capacity to help and I believe we can be an effective vaccination site in this sensitive and vulnerable area,” he said. “It’s the frustration, we’re here, we’re ready to help.”

Pharmacy 4 Less Lakemba Late Night pharmacist Malek Achouh said his outlet, which caters largely to the area’s Arabic-speaking community, had also submitted an expression of interest to assist with the vaccine rollout but had received no reply.

Mr Achouh said he was a great supporter of the Covid jab, having been inoculated himself, and used his own experience to counter vaccine hesitancy he met daily, which often strayed into conspiracy – including that the jab contained a micro-tracking device.

“Pretty much I try to tell them it’s scientifically impossible to insert a chip that is in liquid form,” he said. “I will look at them and say I have taken the vaccine and I’m not afraid.”

The Pharmacy Guild said 4000 pharmacies across the country had been approved to take part in the rollout, including 1250 in NSW, with 70 pharmacies in Sydney’s southwest expected to begin receiving doses for the first phase in the first few weeks.

Canterbury MP Sophie Cotsis accused the state and federal governments of showing little “sense of urgency” in vaccinating her community against the virus, adding that every step needed to be taken to get shots into arms.

A Department of Health spokesman said 118 pharmacies nationally were delivering COVID-19 vaccines with “hundreds more over the coming weeks to come online in regional, rural and remote areas”.