Approaching Reopening Community Pharmacies Safely During COVID-19

Pharmacy Times^® interviewed Benjamin McNabb, PharmD, the owner of Love Oak Pharmacy, about the path ahead in managing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) guidelines and supporting safe practices in pharmacies when reopening. The discussion includes McNabb’s preparation for the reopening process and his management of COVID-19 guidelines for both pharmacies and restaurants when reopening, since there is also a restaurant in his store.

McNabb noted that COVID-19 complicates already established processes for flu and strep tests at his pharmacy. He said, “We are doing what we can to prepare for COVID-19 testing, and we believe once the flu season hits, it'll be a much more complicated situation than we're used to. But we're preparing for that as far as protocols, personal protective equipment, exact policies, possibly doing it in the parking lot, having them call ahead, not really allowing people in the pharmacy if they're feeling sick, but addressing it outside in a controlled fashion.”

McNabb also discussed the importance of managing misinformation distributed on social media regarding COVID-19 pharmacy issues, as well as some innovative approaches to managing social distancing, such as using software to store credit card information and making transactions touchless.