Immunization

Should workers be required to receive immunizations to protect public well-being?

As Pharmacy Times® goes to press this month, there is a lot of encouraging news on the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) front.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Nurisha Wade, MBA, and Farah Towfic, PharmD, MBA, of US Pharmacopeia, on how the release of the COVID-19 Vaccine Handling Toolkit may help pharmacists quickly and safely vaccinate.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Micah Cost, PharmD, MS, who was recently selected as the new chief executive officer of PQA, on his plans for the future of the organization.

Vaccine hesitancy is a main driver for lower than desired vaccination rates and recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses, such as measles, in the United States.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Brian Nightengale, president of Good Neighbor Pharmacy, on the role of independent pharmacies in the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pharmacies must be ready to store, handle, administer, and follow up per local, national, and state regulations.

In a recent letter sent to President Biden, ASHP and more than 50 other health systems and provider organizations requested that the president activate federal resources to establish mass COVID-19 vaccination sites.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Rina Shah, PharmD, group vice president of pharmacy operations and services at Walgreens, on how COVID-19 vaccinations has affected the day-to-day of pharmacies.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Rina Shah, PharmD, group vice president of pharmacy operations and services at Walgreens, on Walgreens’ plans to provide access to COVID-19 vaccines among vulnerable populations in medically underserved communities.

The recommendations focus on dilution errors, vaccine and monoclonal antibody mix-ups, waste of doses, administering immunizations to the wrong age group, errors with scheduling the second dose, and allergic reactions.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Rina Shah, PharmD, group vice president of pharmacy operations and services at Walgreens, on whether any unforeseen problems have arisen during the first wave of COVID-19 vaccinations at long-term care facilities.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Rina Shah, PharmD, group vice president of pharmacy operations and services at Walgreens, on the first wave of COVID-19 vaccine administration at long-term care facilities across the country.

Moderna, Inc has also announced temporary authorization of its COVID-19 vaccine in Switzerland.

A recent study investigated the existence of “pharmacy deserts” in Los Angeles County in relation to the social determinants of health that show which communities have the greatest need for pharmacy access.

Soon, all Americans will be able to receive the vaccine at pharmacies including CVS and Walgreens, and their primary care provider's office.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Alan Green, the US head of sales, infectious disease at AstraZeneca, on the Flu+Force campaign and the resources it provides to help pharmacists develop alternative flu vaccination sites.

The organization’s public statement comes after a pharmacist was arrested for destroying over 500 doses.

Pfizer and BioNTech, and Moderna have announced agreements to further supply vaccines against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

Earlier this month, the Canadian government also exercised its option to increase its confirmed order commitment of mRNA-1273.

This agreement brings the total number to be delivered to the United States to 200 million.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Michael Flannery, PharmD, the assistant director of pharmacy operations at the University of Rochester Medical Center, on the process for managing the waiting period in the pharmacy following COVID-19 immunizations.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Michael Flannery, PharmD, the assistant director of pharmacy operations at the University of Rochester Medical Center, on the process for immunizing staff at a hospital pharmacy with the COVID-19 vaccines.

Pharmacy Times® interviewed Michael Flannery, PharmD, of the University of Rochester Medical Center, on the process that the hospital pharmacy has developed for vaccinations following the arrival of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines.

The announcement came hours after the companies disclosed that the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) had issued a positive opinion to authorize the vaccine.