Coronavirus Causing a Run on Masks, NCPA Study Shows

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Americans are much more worried about the Coronavirus than their local pharmacists, according to a national survey, and they’re snapping up surgical masks faster than the stores can get them.

“The news coverage is clearly affecting consumer behavior,” said Brian Caswell, president of the National Community Pharmacists Association and owner of Wolkar Pharmacy in Baxter Springs, Kan. “Pharmacists are divided on whether the coronavirus is a serious health threat, but a strong majority of their customers are highly concerned.”

Thirty-two percent of pharmacists surveyed say the Coronavirus is a significant public health threat, according to the survey released today. Forty-two percent disagree, while 26% are unsure. Fifty-four percent of them say, however, that their patients are very worried.

Sixty-three percent of local pharmacists say their customers are buying surgical masks as a precaution, while a staggering 96% say they’re selling them faster than they can restock. Nearly 40% say they can’t get enough respirator masks. Many are reporting shortages of hand sanitizers, surface sanitizers, and gloves as well.

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