Washington, DC—Pharmacy groups are advocating that federal health officials and Operation Warp Speed more effectively use their members to get Americans quickly vaccinated against COVID-19.
So far, vaccination goals are lagging far behind. “As more COVID-19 vaccines become available and more individuals become eligible to receive it, increased access points and optimal use of pharmacy teams will be critical to vaccinating more than 328 million Americans,” writes Scott Knoer, PharmD, APhA executive vice president and CEO. “We have got to kick this up a notch.”
Dr. Knoer points out in his blog that more than 376,000 pharmacists and student pharmacists have been trained to administer vaccines to patients across the lifespan, adding, “Their education and training have equipped them with the clinical and practical knowledge to vaccinate on a large scale. Pharmacists have been administering immunizations for more than a quarter of a century, and they know what it takes: who should or shouldn’t get a vaccine; appropriate storage, handling, and vaccine administration technique; important points to communicate to patients; how long patients should be monitored immediately post-vaccine and what to look out for; and how to handle vaccine reactions. They’re ready for this.”
Print Page
Email to a Friend