By SONJA KOREMANS
NOW you can ditch the doctor’s queues and cost of vaccinations and have your flu jab for as little as $20.
Chemists now offer in-house immunisation for a fraction of the cost of a doctor’s visit as part of the growing medical care role being undertaken by pharmacists.
Pharmacist Phillip Hwang of John Duggan Warwick said no prescription was required and it was an on-the-spot service.
That’s good news for local residents who can wait up to two weeks to get in to see their GP.
“For pharmacies, it’s not a cost-making exercise, we only make about $7 on each vaccination, so it’s really about offering our customers an alternative to waiting to see a doctor,“ Mr Hwang said.
“Otherwise, they have to go to their GP, come back to us with the vaccination script, and then go back to the GP to have it administered.“
More than 550 community pharmacists have been trained to administer influzena, whooping cough, measles, mumps, and rubella vaccinations in Queensland this year.
John Duggan and the Discount Drug Store in Warwick are trialling the program with other pharmacies in the region likely to follow next year.
“The scheme has been extremely popular in Queensland since it began last year, and has helped boost the state’s immunisation rates,” Mr Hwang said.
Mr Hwang said he had vaccinated about 140 people in the past month at the pharmacy.
Jodie Barrett from Warwick said her role as a childcare worker required her to be up to date on vaccinations.
“It’s inconvenient waiting 10 days just to get into a doctor, particularly before winter when there is a rush on flu vacinations,” Ms Barrett said.
“This has been much simpler.”
Immunisation at a pharmacy takes about 20 minutes and patients are required to complete a consent form before the jab.
