Following the announcement by the Commonwealth government that third dose coronavirus booster shots will be available through primary care providers, Labor has questioned the efficiency of the rollout.
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Labor senator Helen Polley said she had received several calls from Tasmanians in the North who were unable to find GPs or pharmacies to administer a third dose.
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Although general practitioners and pharmacists fall under the purview of the Commonwealth government, Senator Polley said the state should be working more closely with their federal counterpart on the rollout.
"There seems to be a lack of information from the Department of Health in Tasmania about booster shots," she said.
"They don't seem to have a list of pharmacies or GP's who are offering the shots and yet by all accounts there are certain pharmacies providing them."
Pharmacy Guild of Australia Tasmanian branch president Helen O'Byrne said there were several tools available for the public to locate their closest provider.
Alternatively, she said the public could visit the Find A Pharmacy website, which provided a list of all participating pharmacies in the region.
Ms O'Byrne said as the most accessible primary health service provider, pharmacies were well-placed to administer the booster, or provide advice as to where to obtain one.
Dale Webster, Deputy Secretary, Commander Tasmanian COVID 19 Vaccine Operations said booster vaccines were available from state-run clinics and some pharmacies and GPs.
He said with a limited number of Tasmanians eligible for the booster shots, those eligible were being contacted by the Tasmanian Department of Health and said as eligibility increased a greater focus would be placed on state-run clinics.
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Andrew Chounding
An experienced multi-platform journalist focusing on the issues that impact health in Tasmania. With a background in social research and public policy, health reporting for Andrew is about ensuring the best health outcomes for the Northern Tasmanian community. Contact Andrew at: andrew.chounding@examiner.com.au or 0437 358 262
An experienced multi-platform journalist focusing on the issues that impact health in Tasmania. With a background in social research and public policy, health reporting for Andrew is about ensuring the best health outcomes for the Northern Tasmanian community. Contact Andrew at: andrew.chounding@examiner.com.au or 0437 358 262
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