Nearly a year after the first Canadian case of corona- virus was reported by Health Canada, hope arrived in December 2020 with the approval of 2 vaccines, and several others expected to be approved in the following weeks. Now that vaccines are available, attention has turned to how Canada is going to roll out the largest vaccination program in history. Unfortunately, at the time of submission of this article (February 1, 2021), Canada is lagging behind many other countries in our vaccination efforts.
There’s no question: Pharmacists can and will play a critical role in the national COVID-19 vaccination strategy and CPhA has been a leading voice urging governments to involve phar- macy associations and pharmacy groups in the development, coordination and implementation of vaccine programs across the country.
Canadians recognize the essential role pharmacy should play in the COVID-19 vaccination strategy. According to a CPhA survey conducted in December 2020 by Abacus Data, 81% of Canadians reported that they highly trust their pharmacists and regard the pharmacy as a safe place to get a vaccine. Nearly two- thirds said they would get the COVID-19 vaccine at a pharmacy. The majority of Canadians live within 5 km of a pharmacy, with many located in rural and remote communities, ensuring the accessibility that will be key to the administration of multiple doses.
And pharmacists are ready and willing to contribute. Con- sider that pharmacies:
Have the health care expertise and infrastructure to manage large-scale vaccination campaigns
Are prepared for distribution and delivery, with new infra-structure and safety protocols already in place and can increase immunization and adherence rates for multidose vaccines
Have the digital infrastructure to support prioritization guide- lines and sequencing
Can manage storage and handling requirements
Are served by a sophisticated and highly reliable pharmaceuti- cal distribution system.
With these considerations in mind, CPhA and Neighbour- hood Pharmacies have urged governments to consider and act on a series of recommendations, including:
Vaccinate pharmacists as essential front-line health providers
Provide clear and consistent messaging to the public and all health providers regarding patient prioritization, timing and execution
Provide necessary ancillary supplies (syringes, needles and alcohol wipes) required to immunize Canadians and ensure a vaccine administration fee for all health professionals that reflects the added time and complexity of administration and education
Ensure transparent and committed allocation of inventory to community pharmacies and distribute the vaccine using the current pharmaceutical distribution system.
It’s clear that pharmacy will be central to supporting a suc- cessful national vaccination program. What is needed now is a clear plan for all health providers.
Pharmacists have played an incredible role throughout the pandemic, both providing patients with accessible, expert health care and easing the burden on our health care system. We’re ready to continue this work, and we encourage governments to think of pharmacists as key partners at this critical time.
We’re ready.
*NOTE: As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve rapidly, we recognize that the environment may have changed by the time this article is published.
Visit www.pharmacists.ca/covid19 to view the COVID-19 Vaccine and Pharmacy Readiness: Recommendations from CPhA and Neighbourhood Pharmacies report for considerations and recommendations on why and how pharmacy can play a role in Cana- da’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign.