The American Pharmacists Association and 12 other pharmacy organizations today in a letter told a special committee of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine that pharmacists should be given tier 1 priority status in the allocation and distribution of COVID-19 vaccine(s).
“Pharmacies and pharmacists in all practice settings are essential front-line health care providers and have been providing COVID-19 and related patient care since the coronavirus first appeared in the United States,” the group said. “We are proud of the tremendous critical efforts that our members have undertaken to help our nation respond to the pandemic.”
The organizations said that pharmacies in all practice settings should be included in this designation. This includes community pharmacies, hospitals, long-term care facilities, specialty pharmacies, community health centers, physician offices, ambulatory clinics, managed care organizations, hospice settings, and government facilities.
The organizations noted that more than 360,000 pharmacists have been trained to administer vaccines to patients of all ages, and “stand ready and able to meet the health care needs of their patients and communities.”
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