Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Health, Senator Colbeck. In an article in today's Sydney Morning Herald entitled 'NSW pharmacists stuck in waiting game for vaccines' Mario Barone, a pharmacist in Western Sydney's hotspot suburb of Fairfield reported that, despite placing a second order for AstraZeneca doses on Monday, the vaccines won't arrive for nearly three weeks. He said: 'These vaccines are in a fridge somewhere, but they aren't in pharmacy fridges.' Given that there have been, tragically, five more deaths from COVID-19 recorded in New South Wales today, why are pharmacists in the hotspot of Fairfield waiting almost three weeks for AstraZeneca vaccines to arrive?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] As pharmacies undertake their onboarding process for delivery of vaccines through the national vaccination program there is a process of onboarding registration and ordering of vaccines. There is a cycle of assessment of that process, of preparing the pharmacist to ensure that the appropriate training has been undertaken so that the vaccines are handled appropriately and administered as they should be. We have seen in the past circumstances where [inaudible] appropriate training and that has led to mistakes. So as part of the onboarding process the pharmacists are registered and go through a process of assessment and training. While that process is being undertaken their orders are taken from them and deliveries are processed. It does take a couple of weeks to onboard a pharmacist into the system, but that's done deliberately so that we can ensure that the vaccination process is undertaken safely and in accordance with the appropriate processes of delivery of the vaccine to the Australian community.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Keneally, a supplementary question?

Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] Port Macquarie based pharmacist Judy Plunkett says she's yet to receive a single vaccine dose. She said:

If pharmacies were brought on in April we could have done tens of thousands of doses by now. Every barrier has been put in front of us.

Why are pharmacists who want to vaccinate Australians against COVID-19 having every barrier put in front of them?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] I completely reject the premise of Senator Keneally's question. It has always been part of our national plan to progressively increase the number of outlets where coronavirus vaccines are available. We started with the state clinics, the Commonwealth vaccination clinics, and then we brought on GPs. The plan was always to progressively bring on pharmacies as vaccine availability increased, and that's exactly what we've done. I reject the comment that we put barriers in front of pharmacies. We have progressively built the vaccine supply and the number of outlets to ensure that Australians can get access to a vaccine wherever they are around the country and to ensure that that is done safely and progressively so that we can meet our objective of providing everyone who wants a vaccine one by the end of the year.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Keneally, a final supplementary question?

Kristina Keneally (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] The Pharmacy Guild of Australia's New South Wales branch has criticised the Morrison government's decision to contract logistics out separately instead of using the community service obligation wholesaler network, which would have used existing cold chain lines to ensure 24-hour delivery. Does the Morrison government take responsibility for the failed logistics arrangements that are delaying vital COVID vaccines to New South Wales?

Richard Colbeck (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

[by video link] Again, I don't accept the premise that Senator Keneally has posed in her question. All throughout this process we've put in place systems and measures to ensure the safe delivery and distribution of the coronavirus vaccines. They have to be managed in a particular way, with appropriate cold storage. It has been an unprecedented logistical exercise to ensure the distribution of the vaccine. We have successfully delivered the coronavirus vaccine to thousands of individual outlets across the country, and we will continue to ensure that we safely and properly get those deliveries out to—

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order, Senator Colbeck. Senator Dean Smith.