Sigma’s bushfire support

EXTENDED credit, deliveries of vital medicines using Australian Defence Force infrastructure, a $25,000 donation to a fund to support the profession, and regular communication, have been some of the ways pharmaceutical wholesaler, Sigma Healthcare, is supporting pharmacies in bushfire affected regions.

A spokesperson for the company told Pharmacy Daily, it has been working closely with pharmacies in south east Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia, since the fires started in late Oct, to provide vital supplies.

“We have been leveraging our critical infrastructure to ensure communities receive their medications,” the spokesperson said.

“We have reached out to our branded network in fire impacted communities to offer our support, including through extended credit where needed, and stand ready to provide assistance as required.

“Sigma also made a $25,000 donation to the efforts of Alliance Pharmacy to support their members who were in fire ravaged communities and were directly impacted.”

The wholesaler played a key role in maintaining supply routes throughout the bushfire crisis in conjunction with the Australian Defence Force, emergency services and the Pharmacy Guild of Australia, which included delivering supplies to Mallacoota by travelling by air ambulance from Essendon Airport in Melbourne to Bairnsdale, before transferring stock to a barge on 31 Dec.

Sigma CEO, Mark Hooper, praised the efforts of the company’s staff, and pledged to dollar match employee donations to the Australian Red Cross Bushfire Appeal, Vinnies and the WWF Australia, through a salary sacrifice program, while the company has donated $50,000 to Vinnies, and $25,000 to Alliance Pharmacy’s gofundme campaign.