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14 INDUSTRY EDUCATION COVID-19 VACCINE ROLLOUT HBy Colm Maguire, Group Executive, Member Services and Innovation Group, Pharmacy Guild of Australia. opefully, in the not-too- distant future, many pharmacies across Australia will be offering Covid-19 vaccinations to patients. We are awaiting confirmation of exactly when pharmacies will be providing these services, although we do know that we will be involved in the vaccination rollout from Phase 2a on. • • • Phase 2a will involve: Adults aged 60-69 years. Adults aged 50-59 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people 18-54. Other critical and high-risk workers. • Before this, health workers will be offered the vaccination as part of Phase 1b rollout, and the government is encouraging everyone to ensure they’re vaccinated. The rollout has been described as the single most important health program in Australia’s history, and it’s up to all of us to help ensure we maximise the uptake of people getting the shots. The surge in the vaccination rollout will no doubt result in patients coming in with lots of questions for you. They’ll want to know about side effects; they’ll want to know about efficacy; they’ll want to know about safety. As pharmacy assistants, you’re often the first people they’ll meet when they come into the pharmacy and it’s natural that they’ll want answers from you. One of the first things to know is that, unlike flu vaccinations, the Covid-19 vaccination rollout doesn’t accommodate walk-ins without an appointment. Appointments are critical because of protocols surrounding the storage of the vaccines being used in Australia, and also because patients require two doses. Using a booking system makes it easier to ensure patients having a first shot, follow up with a second. It’s important to point out that vaccinations in the pharmacy can only be administered by pharmacists who have undergone specific training. This training, which everyone who delivers Covid-19 vaccinations must complete, includes: • Covid-19 introduction. • Handling and storage. • Communication and purpose. • Multi-dose vial (MDV) training. • Documentation and reporting. • Safety and surveillance monitoring and reporting for adverse events following immunisation. Knowing the training the pharmacists in your pharmacy have undergone will help you answer some of the questions patients may have. It’s good to be able to tell them just how comprehensive the training is, and that it’s exactly the same training that doctors, nurses and others delivering the vaccinations have taken. It’s also important not to try to answer questions for which you don’t have the answers. Always refer to the pharmacists on duty if the questions are clinical or complex. With the whole Covid-19 vaccination rollout, the role of community pharmacies and your part in helping patients go up a notch. The rollout has been described as the single most important health program in Australia’s history, and it’s up to all of us to help ensure we maximise the uptake of people getting the shots. As a healthcare worker, you’ll have had the opportunity to get your shot before patients come into the pharmacy and ask about theirs. Seeing you happy and positive about getting your shot can help ease any fears or concerns patients may have. Remember, you’re highly trusted by the communities you serve, so your role is pivotal as a key advocate in the take-up of the vaccine. Another important role you’ll continue to play is screening patients who come in for a Covid-19 vaccination. You may be called upon to look for symptoms, or your pharmacy may have a questionnaire to identify ‘at risk’ patients – including those who have had recent contact with people who have Covid-19. You may be asked to help implement and use electronic vaccination screening forms and methods for signing consent forms that minimise the risk of virus transmission. Hygiene, of course, is critical. Additional deep cleaning may be necessary, and in vaccination areas special care must be observed. Surfaces used in vaccination rooms should be thoroughly cleaned after each vaccination. This includes benches, seating and door handles. This is a rollout in which pharmacy assistants have a great role to play. It’s a rollout in which we all must continue going the extra mile for our patients and communities. But it’s a rollout that may be the beginning of the transition to a new normal in which we all understand the value of vaccination. RETAIL PHARMACY ASSISTANTS • MAR 2021