Wagga pharmacists ready and waiting to be involved in COVID jab efforts

New research by the McKell Institute has found an acceleration of the vaccination rollout into pharmacies could see Australia reach its vaccination target of 80 per cent sooner, avoiding an estimated $12.3 billion of economic costs.

If all of Australia's eligible pharmacies were swiftly engaged to administer the vaccine, the report argues, Australia would reach its target in 128 days, down from 184 days on current projections.

Proprietor of Wagga's Cincotta Chemist, Mustafa Al Shakarji, said it has been a "failure" of the government to not be utilising more than 2000 pharmacies across the country in its vaccination efforts.

In early July, the state government announced that 22 pharmacies across regional and rural NSW would begin administering AstraZeneca as part of a pilot program. The closest pharmacy to Wagga on this list is in Finley.

"Why wouldn't I want to utilise my biggest platform for vaccination, which is pharmacy," Mr Al Shakarji said of the government. "Why would I just use twenty (chemists), and then put so much pressure on medical centres."

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He put in an expression of interest with NSW Health "months ago" to be involved with the vaccination rollout, and said they are still waiting on approval.

"We would have become in control of all these outbreaks earlier had we been vaccinating through pharmacies in previous months," he added.

"The rate of infections, especially in metropolitan areas, would dramatically decrease because a lot of people would get vaccinated right away."

Mr Al Shakarji said there are two main benefits to getting pharmacies on board with the rollout - more people could access the vaccine, and it would cost the government less.

"The remuneration for the pharmacy to do a COVID vaccination is less than half of what the doctors have been given," he said, stating that it is around $70-$80 per person vaccinated for doctors, compared with $30-$40 for pharmacies.

Co-owner of Michael O'Reilly Pharmacy, Joe Madden, has also expressed an interest in joining the rollout.

"The only reliable way of trying to battle a pandemic like this is with a vaccine," he said. "I'd prefer to be a part of that rather than sit back and procrastinate."

However, Mr Madden also said there are many reasons a pharmacy might not want to be involved in the rollout, such as not having enough staff or being a single-pharmacist venue.

"Whilst I think it would be great for the vaccine to roll out in the most efficient way possible, I don't think it's fair to say every pharmacy should be doing it," he said.

"I don't think it's fair to put that pressure on pharmacies that don't feel they are capable."

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