Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / Katie Woolf spoke with Pharmacy Guild NT Branch Director Judith Oliver

Transcript

Katie Woolf spoke with Pharmacy Guild NT Branch Director Judith Oliver · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: We do know that the rollout of the vaccine is
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: indeed going to play a huge part in opening up Australia,
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: and I know that there is still some vaccine hesitancy
• 0:11
  Speaker 1: from some territories. But joining us on the line to
• 0:13
  Speaker 1: talk further about this rollout and the part that pharmacies
• 0:17
  Speaker 1: are going to play. Pharmacy Guild NT Branch Director Judith Oliver,
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: Good morning.
• 0:22
  Speaker 2: To you, Judith. Good morning Katie.
• 0:25
  Speaker 1: Thank you so much for your time this morning, Judith,
• 0:27
  Speaker 1: and well, can you talk us through where we are
• 0:30
  Speaker 1: at right now when it comes to the rollout into pharmacies.
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: Well, look, in the NT, we have sixteen pharmacies that
• 0:40
  Speaker 2: will begin delivering the Astrodenka vaccine from the twelfth of July.
• 0:46
  Speaker 2: Those pharmacies are spread around the NT in Alice Springs, Tenantcreet, Catherine,
• 0:52
  Speaker 2: Joe and Palmerston and the rural area and they're getting
• 0:57
  Speaker 2: ready as we speak to commence with the astra Zeneca vaccine.
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: Well, that was going to be my next question. Are
• 1:03
  Speaker 1: they ready and what vaccine will they be able to
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: roll out?
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: So the pharmacies are ready, It's important to remember that
• 1:13
  Speaker 2: the pharmacies in the NT have been providing vaccinations since
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: twenty fifteen, so they're very experienced in offering this type
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: of service. They have been limited in their ability to
• 1:30
  Speaker 2: order the COVID vaccinations up to this point, but they
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: have now ordered stock and it has begun to arrive
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: into our pharmacies.
• 1:41
  Speaker 1: Has that been in the process, sorry, Judith, has that
• 1:44
  Speaker 1: been quite a frustration for our pharmacies not being able
• 1:48
  Speaker 1: to really, you know, to order stock as freely as
• 1:51
  Speaker 1: you'd like to be able to.
• 1:54
  Speaker 2: Look, we've been ready to provide COVID vaccination since the
• 1:58
  Speaker 2: beginning of the year and we've had to wait until
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: the Commonwealth and Anti government brought us into the vaccine rollout.
• 2:07
  Speaker 2: So yes, it has been frustrating. We're ready to go now.
• 2:12
  Speaker 2: I guess the next question will be when we're able
• 2:16
  Speaker 2: to deliver the full fleet of COVID vaccinations, so including
• 2:20
  Speaker 2: the fiber and maderna vaccines when they come along. We're
• 2:24
  Speaker 2: hopeful that that will be from September or so.
• 2:28
  Speaker 1: Or later in the year, because that is going to
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: realistically limit who you'll be able to deliver this vaccine
• 2:35
  Speaker 1: to through pharmacies, won't it. I know that the Prime
• 2:38
  Speaker 1: Minister changed his communication around the vaccine and astrosenica earlier
• 2:43
  Speaker 1: in the week. But does that mean that our pharmacies
• 2:46
  Speaker 1: are going to be able to do administer the astroseneica
• 2:49
  Speaker 1: to those under the age of fifty at the moment
• 2:52
  Speaker 1: or is it really just going to be those over
• 2:54
  Speaker 1: that age group.
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: At the moment where pharmacies will liver according to the
• 3:01
  Speaker 2: approved protocol, so that will be to people over sixty
• 3:07
  Speaker 2: at the moment. There is always, as with any medication,
• 3:14
  Speaker 2: an individual patient should talk to their GP about any
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: the risk benefit ratio for them in using the vaccine
• 3:22
  Speaker 2: if they're outside of that particular age group.
• 3:27
  Speaker 1: Now, in terms of in terms of the rollout nationally,
• 3:31
  Speaker 1: I know that the pharmacy Guild nationally had been a
• 3:34
  Speaker 1: little bit cross earlier in the week. I G I
• 3:36
  Speaker 1: should say, with the lack of ability to roll out
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: as quickly as as you guys have been ready and
• 3:43
  Speaker 1: willing to roll the vaccine out.
• 3:47
  Speaker 2: Absolutely, it is very frustrating. I think the states and
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: territories are very gradually bringing pharmacies into this vaccine rollout.
• 3:58
  Speaker 2: Some states and territories still aren't including pharmacy. And when
• 4:03
  Speaker 2: you consider that last year three million flu vaccines were
• 4:07
  Speaker 2: delivered through pharmacies around the country. You know, there is
• 4:11
  Speaker 2: a tremendous ability there for pharmacies to pick up this
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: challenge and up those vaccination rates. We feel a bit
• 4:20
  Speaker 2: like we're sitting on the sidelines waiting to be called
• 4:23
  Speaker 2: in when we're really quite capable of doing a lot
• 4:27
  Speaker 2: more than we are at the moment.
• 4:29
  Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's you know, this is I suppose one
• 4:32
  Speaker 1: of the frustrations right around Australia, isn't it that we're
• 4:35
  Speaker 1: you know, that we're not getting everybody vaccinated as quickly
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: as as we're capable probably of being able to do.
• 4:42
  Speaker 2: That's right, That's right.
• 4:44
  Speaker 1: And Judith, is there anything else we should be aware
• 4:46
  Speaker 1: of before that rollout does begin in our pharmacies very soon?
• 4:52
  Speaker 2: Look, we're hopeful that the pharmacies need to be hooked
• 4:56
  Speaker 2: up to the Commonwealth Government booking platform and that is
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: happening as we speak. So in the next week or so,
• 5:05
  Speaker 2: we would hope that people in the mt will be
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: able to book their appointment for an ASTROSENCA COVID vaccine
• 5:12
  Speaker 2: in their pharmacy online. I'm ready for that twelfth of
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: July start.
• 5:18
  Speaker 1: Well, Judas Oliver, it is great to speak with you
• 5:21
  Speaker 1: this morning from the Pharmacy Guild of the Northern Territory,
• 5:24
  Speaker 1: the branch director. We really appreciate your time today and
• 5:27
  Speaker 1: all the best. We'll probably catch up with you very
• 5:29
  Speaker 1: soon again.
• 5:30
  Speaker 2: Thanks Katie, thank you.