Tas Pharmacies to Start COVID-19 Vaccinations

Media release – Tasmanian President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, 12 August 2021

TASMANIAN PHARMACIES PRIMED TO START ADMINISTERING COVID-19 VACCINES

Tasmanian community pharmacies are in the final stages of receiving their approvals from the Tasmanian Department of Health to begin providing COVID-19 vaccination services for those over 60 years of age with the Astra Zeneca vaccine.

Tasmanian President of the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, Helen O’Byrne said that the state’s pharmacy owners and their teams have had a long wait to finally get the go ahead from the Tasmanian Department of Health to start the vaccination services.

“Our highly trained pharmacist immunisers working in pharmacies located around the state are looking forward to being able to provide in-pharmacy COVID-19 vaccinations to their local communities”, Ms O’Byrne said.

“It is unfortunate that the state government has determined that at this time Tasmanian pharmacists will not be able to administer the vaccine to those under the age of 60, despite the Therapeutic Goods Administration advice and guidelines, as this would certainly help to lift vaccination rates across the state,” Ms O’Byrne said.

“Pharmacies across all other Australian states and territories are approved to administer Astra Zeneca vaccines to those under 60 where appropriate. We will continue to urge the state Government to rethink its decision and bring Tasmanian pharmacies in line with the rest of the country.”

“As trusted medication experts pharmacists have already been providing advice about the vaccines within their local communities to help overcome misguided fears and alleviate the vaccine hesitancy that has slowed down the rollout,” Ms O’Byrne said. “Being able to now also provide the vaccine means pharmacists can help to increase the pace of the rollout and lift our vaccination rates.”

Ms O’Byrne said she is hopeful that the Moderna vaccine, which was recently approved by the Therapeutics Goods Administration, will be available to be administered in Tasmanian community pharmacies in September, providing local communities with access to another vaccine option.

“At this stage we are still waiting on the Tasmanian Government to approve the Moderna vaccine to be administered by pharmacists in a community pharmacy setting, but we will be ready as soon as that comes through,” Ms O’Byrne said.