THE ongoing severity of this year's influenza season has highlighted the need to extend the role of community pharmacies in protecting the community from this potentially tragic disease, Pharmacy Guild of Australia executive director David Quilty said in a Forefront article.
He explained that immediately extending the National Immunisation Program to community pharmacies and enabling access to the MBS would ensure more vulnerable people would be protected against the disease.
A Galaxy Research survey conducted for the Pharmacy Guild found more than six million Australians would be more likely to have a flu shot if it could be administered at a local pharmacy, including around two million who previously had no intention to vaccinate against flu.
The research revealed that an extra two million Australians were likely to have a flu vaccination this year because of its availability through community pharmacy, highlighting the success of the scheme and emphasising the imperative to extend it further next year, Quilty advised.
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