Friendlies vaccination surge

WESTERN Australia’s Friendlies Pharmacy Group has this week achieved more than 22,000 flu vaccinations for the season, eclipsing last year’s campaign by 27% to date.

Friendlies head Wayne Stone said the significant increase in pharmacy vaccinations was growing testament that the public “are now more than ever open to seeing properly equipped pharmacies and trained pharmacists as a viable alternative to other traditional healthcare providers”.

The immunisations were delivered through just 27 pharmacies - an average of more than 800 per store - with the group saying the strong demand “cemented its place as the health care destination pharmacy group of choice in WA”.

The Friendlies group is supported by its master franchisor HBF Health, one of Australia’s largest health insurance providers.

The unique relationship sees a growing suite of health services and exclusive benefits offered to HBF members, and has seen the Friendlies network almost double in sinje since 2015.

Stone said given the strong uptake and acceptance of pharmacy vaccinations, he hoped it would only be a matter of time before WA followed the leads of other jurisdictions and expanded the range of immunisations that pharmacists could legally deliver.

“Doing so will not only increase consumer choice but properly applied, has the potential also to reduce government spend,” he said.