CANBERRANS are breathing a sigh of relief after more than 100,000 Commonwealth-funded P2 face masks have been delivered to pharmacies across the ACT for at risk patients, with the city's air quality set to deteriorate in the coming days as bushfire smoke returns to the capital.
The masks allocated for the ACT by the Federal Government over the weekend were distributed to the Territory's 80 pharmacies on Mon afternoon in a combined effort between the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia (PSA) ACT Branch, the Pharmacy Guild of Australia ACT Branch and ACT Health, to ensure they can reach at-risk patients.
Guild ACT Branch President, Simon Blacker, said pharmacy staff and patients alike have welcomed the fresh stock of the masks.
"What I saw when I was delivering masks for vulnerable people to ACT community pharmacies was a mixture of joy and relief that masks were arriving that would allow the pharmacy to be able to help their local communities and their local patients," he said.
"The teams of pharmacists and staff were excited to be empowered to help, and this is a common trait of all community pharmacies and those that work within them.
"By the time the task was completed [on Mon afternoon], we believe about one-third of masks had already been provided free of charge to members of our community, showing how urgent the need in Canberra was."
PSA ACT Vice President, Professor Mark Naunton, praised the efforts pharmacists in the Territory have made to support their efforts in recent days.
"In the ACT this week, pharmacists have stepped up to coordinate and provide access to protective masks for Canberrans most sensitive to smoke, such as those over 65, pregnant women and people with chronic health conditions such as asthma and cardiovascular disease," he said.
"As we travelled around the city and visited each of Canberra's 80 pharmacies was a network of community pharmacists eager to help out and play a part in keeping Canberrans safe from the harmful effects of pollution.
"This is another example of the important role pharmacists play in responding to public health issues and natural disasters."
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