Select pharmacies across regional and rural NSW will begin administering the AstraZeneca jab as part of a pilot program to boost the vaccine rollout.
The move is a win for the NSW Nationals in the state government, who have advocated strongly for regional communities. The 22 pharmacies, which will administer the COVID-19 vaccine from mid-July for people 60 and over, are located where access to a GP or vaccine clinic is more limited due to geography.
They are located in regional towns including Gulgong, Narromine, Walcha, Dungog, Dunedoo and Merriwa.
The NSW Nationals in the state government know community pharmacists already have an important role in Australia’s vaccination program, administering vaccines including the yearly flu shot. With some of these communities having limited local access to the mass vaccination hubs set up on the coast, having these pharmacies involved will assist with the phased rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccine to these communities.
The NSW Nationals in the state government are taking this vital step to help ensure as many people in NSW as possible receive their COVID-19 vaccination as soon as possible.
Community pharmacies will need to meet certain standards in order to administer COVID-19 vaccines. These include:
• Must not supply or administer the vaccine to a person who is under the age of 60, or a patient with a contraindication or precaution to vaccination;
• Written consent from a patient;
• Mandatory training for vaccinators;
• Recording of each vaccination; and
• Conduct vaccinations under approved practice standards.
It is expected additional pharmacies will join the COVID-19 vaccination program in the future. This also paves the way for pharmacies to further assist NSW in supporting the NSW Nationals in the federal government’s rollout of COVID-19 vaccines.
Participating pharmacies
1. Pharmasave Baradine Pharmacy, 24 Wellington Street, Baradine
2. Bellingen Pharmacy, 70 Hyde Street, Bellingen
3. Capital Chemist Braidwood, 128 Wallace Street, Braidwood
4. Coraki Pharmacy, 55 Queen Elizabeth Drive, Coraki
5. Denman Pharmacy, 32 Ogilvie Street, Denman
6. Dorrigo Plateau Pharmacy, 67 Hickory Street, Dorrigo
7. Dunedoo Pharmacy, 86 Bolaro Street, Dunedoo
8. Williams Valley Pharmacy, 182 Dowling Street, Dungog
9. Finley Pharmacy, 122-124 Murray Street, Finley
10. Gilgandra Pharmacy, 49 Miller Street, Gilgandra
11. Gulgong Dispensary, 119 Mayne Street, Gulgong
12. Guyra Pharmacy, 106 Bradley Street, Guyra
13. Soul Pattinson Chemist Kyogle, 111 Summerland Way, Kyogle
14. Marulan Pharmacy, 50-52 George Street, Marulan
15. Merriwa Pharmacy, 106 Bettington Street, Merriwa
16. Narromine Pharmacy, 53 Dandaloo Street, Narromine
17. Old Bar Pharmacy, 1/48 Old Bar Road, Old Bar
18. Uralla Pharmacy, 72-74 Bridge Street, Uralla
19. The Urunga Pharmacy, 10 Bowra Street, Urunga
20. Kings Pharmacy, 10N Derby Street, Walcha
21. Wallerawang Pharmacy, 60A Main Street, Wallerawang
22. Wentworth Pharmacy, 15 Sandwych Street, Wentworth
