Pharmacy operators have allayed fears that customers could see delays in online delivery of medicines due to the Victorian coronavirus lockdown, as chemists rush to meet rising demand for online prescription fulfilment.
The restrictions on distribution centres during the stage 4 lockdown had led to concerns Australia Post would experience parcel delivery delays for important products including medicines. On Monday, Australia Post confirmed it would be prioritising urgently needed deliveries including medicines, and providing essential services with ‘priority’ labels.
Pharmacies have been developing a range of delivery options including direct-to-customer from the store to handle the boom in prescription deliveries. Credit:Louie Douvis
A spokesman for Priceline Pharmacy, which is operated by $500 million wholesaler Australian Pharmaceutical Industries, said the company was confident the Victorian situation would not impact its delivery orders.
“We have not detected any delays with our online ‘click and deliver’ services. Many of our Priceline Pharmacy community pharmacists operate their own personalised medicines delivery services to ensure their customers get timely deliveries,” he said.
