In a statement, Amrahi said that with more mega vaccination centres (PPVs) being closed, this would ensure that the public could continue to have access to Covid-19 booster shots.

He noted that MPS in partnership with Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) has developed the Certified Training Programme On Immunisation for Pharmacists (CTPIP) to ensure community pharmacists were competent to administer vaccines.

Amrahi added that with the recent announcement by health minister Khairy Jamaluddin on Covid-19 booster vaccines for high-risk groups and frontliners, he hoped community pharmacists can be included in the primary list for booster shots alongside general practitioners.

He also urged the government to allow community pharmacists to endorse saliva self-test kits for the convenience of travellers.

“MPS notes that the National Security Council has included the additional implementation of using Covid-19 saliva test kits results before departing to Labuan.

“However, only registered medical practitioners in the private sector and officers from the health ministry have the power to endorse the results of the saliva test kits,” he said.

Amrahi said community pharmacists were certainly more than qualified to interpret the results from self-test kits and added that they were also the most easily accessible healthcare providers.

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