Specialty Pharmacists Can Educate Patients on COVID-19 Vaccines

In an interview with Pharmacy Times, Nishita Hira, PharmD, CSP, clinical program manager at AllianceRx Walgreens Prime, discussed the role specialty pharmacists can play during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine rollout.

Unlike retail pharmacists, Hira pointed out that many specialty patients receive their medications at home and consult with their pharmacist virtually. Because of this, Hira said specialty pharmacists are uniquely positioned to provide patient education and counseling on the vaccines and the concerns that specialty patients may have.

Many specialty pharmacy patients could be immunocompromised, which Hira said may limit the efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines. However, she said no studies to date have included this population, so evidence is limited. Similarly, adverse effects or interactions with specialty medications are still unknown, so Hira said these patients should consult their pharmacists and physicians when deciding whether to receive a vaccine.