Vaccines are rolling out across the country and around the world. And now, some analysts are taking a step back to examine the factors that are preventing vaccines from getting to all of us, while also working to identify and understand where the vaccine rollout is working.
The issues can be organized around three buckets:
1. Demographic and Attitudinal Issues
Demographic and attitudinal issues can prevent people from having access to a vaccine. Some may simply not trust the dependability of the vaccine due to limited information or common misconceptions about vaccinations. While we should all be proud of the progress we have made in developing and distributing vaccines, there are still a lot of questions. And pharmacists are prepared to answer them.
2. Supply Chain
Supply chain, specifically the cold chain requirements for many of the vaccines, can also serve as a major access barrier for patients. While new vaccines are emerging that may not need to be stored at frigid temperatures, there are still too many stories about available vaccines going to waste.
3. Delivering Healthcare
The third and final bucket is related to systems thinking and how we can get better at delivering healthcare. States and communities that are getting it right are being examined. For example, West Virginia is having success with pharmacists serving as the main vaccinators and leading the charge when it comes to administering the COVID-19 vaccination.
And it makes sense, as pharmacists have always been regarded as one of the most trusted and convenient healthcare providers. For 90 percent of Americans, there is a pharmacy within five miles of their home. Pharmacists are also already delivering vaccinations for the flu and shingles and are trained to deliver impactful patient care.
Pharmacists are passionate about patient care. Across the pharmacy customers that iA works with, we are hearing that their pharmacists are eager to vaccinate. They’re ready to help. So, if the issue isn’t a lack of training, proximity to a provider, or trust within those who are positioned to administer it, then what is it?
The issue: pharmacists don’t have enough time.
Too much of a pharmacist’s time is currently spent dispensing medications. They are consumed with having to fill prescriptions, and pulled away from spending time with patients. Fortunately though, there is a solution. Much of this dispensing work can move to a central fill pharmacy setting, alleviating the bulk of what the pharmacist does day-to-day, allowing for more time to focus on crucial efforts, like administering the COVID-19 vaccine. iA is working diligently to enable our customers to realize the most important outcome we believe our pharmacy fulfilment solutions create for customers – time.
At iA, we are a pharmacy fulfillment company run by pharmacists. And many of us also have children, nieces and nephews who are also pharmacists. We’re motivated by our own training in and personal commitment to pharmacy. Pharmacists are spending too much time dispensing or on the phone with a provider or insurer to be able to provide impactful patient care It’s time to break the shackles of pharmacy and free up the time pharmacists need to help us accelerate the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and allow us all to move beyond its current limitations.
At iA, we see the COVID-19 vaccine as an opportunity to work with our customers to transform their pharmacy and ensure that the more than 300,000 pharmacists across our country can serve as trusted sources of patient care. We can do this. We can break the shackles and unleash the full potential of pharmacy.