More than 530 flu jabs administered at retail pharmacies under MOH trial

SINGAPORE: More than 530 flu jabs have been administered at retail pharmacies as of Nov 26 under a trial, according to the Ministry of Health (MOH).
Launched last month, the trial allows trained pharmacists to administer influenza vaccinations at the following locations: 
It is part of a broader plan to study how pharmacists can play a bigger role in public healthcare.
MOH said previously that it hoped that at least 200 people would get jabs via the trial but added that this was not a cap.
Responding to queries from CNA, MOH said that vaccination services under the sandbox initiative continue to be available at the three retail pharmacies. 
Customers can walk into any of the three retail pharmacies to get their flu jabs. They can also make appointments to get vaccinated through the pharmacies’ respective websites. 
When CNA visited the three pharmacies on Monday (Dec 2) afternoon, it did not see any customers queuing or walking in for the vaccinations. 
Staff members at the Guardian and Watsons outlets told CNA that there were walk-in slots available on Monday as well as on Tuesday, while the area where patients usually receive flu jabs at Unity Pharmacy’s outlet at Parkway Parade was unoccupied. 
Both Guardian Health & Beauty and the FairPrice Group, which owns Unity Pharmacy, said they were encouraged by the response so far. 
A FairPrice Group spokesperson said they are currently looking into training more pharmacists to cater to the demand for the jabs.
Eligible Singapore citizens who get vaccinated at the sandbox pharmacies will receive the same government subsidies that they would get at Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) general practitioner clinics.
Co-payments for the jabs are capped at between S$9 and S$35, similar to CHAS clinics. The actual charges at each sandbox pharmacy may vary.