DETAILS outlining how 100,000 Commonwealth-funded face masks from the National Medical Stockpile (NMS) will be distributed in the ACT are expected to be announced within the next 24 hours, as bushfire smoke threatens the health of residents in the capital.
Pharmacy Guild of Australia ACT Branch President, Simon Blacker, said the Commonwealth face masks were expected to arrive in Canberra today, with discussions on how they will be distributed set to take place throughout the day.
Blacker said that while no decision had been made at the time of publication, "community pharmacies would be well placed" to distribute the masks to vulnerable patients impacted by the smoke.
The move follows the Federal Government's announcement that 450,000 P2 masks from the NMS would be sent to Victoria to assist frontline workers and those at risk in bushfire affected communities, Commonwealth Minister for Health, Greg Hunt said on Sat.
"Although these P2 masks have been held in the NMS for use in pandemics, I have made them available today because of the urgent need to assist frontline workers operating in bushfire-affected communities," Hunt said.
While the ACT Government has yet to define who would qualify to access the 100,000 masks, the Commonwealth Department of Health noted that those most at risk of significant health effects of smoke include: people over 65 years; children 14 years and younger; pregnant women; and people with existing heart and lung conditions.
Blacker noted that pharmacies in the ACT were expecting fresh supplies of face masks later today.
The above article was sent to subscribers in Pharmacy Daily's issue from 06 Jan 20
To see the full newsletter, see the embedded issue below or CLICK HERE to download Pharmacy Daily from 06 Jan 20
