During COVID, and always, pharmacists provide important role in healthcare delivery.
It has been estimated that 7 in 10 Americans have received their COVID-19 vaccination by a pharmacy staff member. As of Nov. 9, the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program reported that more than 162.8 million doses were administered in retail pharmacies across the country. This number fails to include the extensive vaccination efforts led by academic medical centers, such as UK HealthCare, where many members of pharmacy staff served on the front lines.
If we take a moment to consider these numbers, the question that comes to mind is where would our vaccination numbers stand if it weren’t for pharmacy professionals? According to a CDC article researching pharmacy involvement throughout the pandemic, over 90% of Americans live within five miles of a pharmacy. This statistic highlights pharmacists as the healthcare workers most accessible to the general public. Consequently, pharmacy students are trained to differentiate between various presenting symptom combinations in order to provide appropriate over-the-counter recommendations. Just consider, how many times have you walked into a pharmacy or drug store and asked a pharmacist for guidance on treatment options to manage your symptoms?
The perception of pharmacists tends to be “pill counters,” but their contribution to the healthcare system exceeds far beyond standing behind a counter with a plastic tray and metal spatula. Pharmacists play a key role in immunization efforts, as well as medication review. They are the clinical experts in ensuring that the correct dose of medication is prescribed for the particular disease state. Additionally, pharmacists serve as the checkpoint to verify that the patient’s safety is prioritized, while assessing for drug interactions and other considerations related to adverse effects. Through board-approved protocols initiated by the Kentucky Board of Pharmacy, pharmacists can provide point-of-care testing for various disease states including influenza, strep throat, urinary tract infections, and tuberculosis.3
Pharmacists are typically perceived to work in the community setting, but there are a variety of other career paths that can be pursued that offer differing clinical skill sets. Hospitals often include pharmacists as part of their rounding team and offer specialized positions in cardiology, oncology, pediatrics, and psychiatry, just to name a few. Pharmacists can also provide care in outpatient clinic settings and counsel patients on various disease states. Oftentimes, obtaining a medication history for a patient that encompasses all of their home medications and their associated diagnoses can be crucial to patient safety. This process is at the center of pharmacy workflow in all settings, although the specific process may differ.
As immunizations become a key part of a pharmacist’s job description, various members within pharmacy staff are beginning to obtain immunization certifications. This includes pharmacy interns and potentially technicians in various states across the country such as Idaho, Michigan, Nevada, Rhode Island, Utah, and Washington. By allowing interns and technicians to administer vaccinations, the workload on pharmacists can be lessened. This collaborative effort can also increase the reach that pharmacy can have on the general public regarding their immunizations. Students who are pursuing their PharmD degree can become trained to give vaccinations as early as their second semester of pharmacy school. This healthcare field is continuing to advance its contribution to patient care. It is important for the public to understand the unique services that pharmacists can provide. COVID-19 has been a devastating time for many, but the vaccination numbers speak for themselves. It would be difficult to predict where America would stand now in their immunization efforts, if it were not for the contribution of pharmacy.
Payton Atkins is a third-year pharmacy student at the University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy with a B.S. in Human Nutrition.