MEDIA RELEASE 23 March 2021
Members of the National Pharmaceutical Services Association (NPSA) are working in collaboration with emergency services to deliver essential medicines and pharmacy supplies to towns and cities inundated by floods.
Disaster management plans are operational across NPSA’s New South Wales and South East Queensland network to overcome obstacles including flood waters, landslides, road and bridge closures and heavy traffic.
Co-ordinated by NPSA member companies, medicine orders have today been driven to boat ramps, collected by SES rescue boat crews and delivered into North Richmond, Pitt Town and Wilberforce.
An order for a community pharmacy in Kempsey and medicines destined for Port Macquarie Base Hospital were delivered after special arrangements were secured. In the Hunter region, crews responded rapidly to deliver to Patterson, Dungog and Vacy pharmacies ahead of road closures.
NPSA Chair Richard Vincent said, “Our decades of experience on the ground, long-standing local relationships and disaster management plans mean we are able to meet some very difficult challenges caused by the current flood crisis. Our employees are thinking creatively and working overtime to co-ordinate stock movement while our logistics network and communications systems are proving reliable.
“Some pharmacies have been left without power or direct access so we are working with those sites directly to stage cold chain deliveries to ensure their stock is safe and secure. We expect continued normal supply and distribution of the flu vaccine.
“Our thoughts are with the communities affected by the floods.
NPSA is the peak body representing the full-line pharmaceutical wholesalers in Australia including Australian Pharmaceutical Industries (API), NPD (National Pharmacies), Sigma Healthcare and Symbion.
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