Brian Caswell, owner of Wolkar Drug in Baxter Springs, Kansas, has been eager for his independent pharmacy to help with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
He bought a specially equipped freezer for storage purposes, certified additional employees to administer vaccines and bought scheduling software to gear up for the push.
“Everybody stepped up to do everything that the CDC asked,” he said. “The only thing that we couldn’t get was vaccines.”
Drugstore giants CVS and Walgreens and big-box stores such as Walmart and Kroger got most of the vaccines from the initial allotment devoted to retail pharmacies, independent pharmacists said.
Dear Colleague,
As I write this, sleet and freezing rain are coming down in the D.C. area. Most of the country dealt with arctic temperatures this week. Federal offices in the D.C. area are closed today, but most independent pharmacies, despite the chill in the air, are open for the business of health care.
Independent local pharmacies are uniquely positioned to deliver the COVID-19 vaccines to their communities, including those that are hard to reach. In a news release on Tuesday, NCPA CEO Douglas Hoey said, “Independent pharmacists are located in communities of all population sizes including rural communities, urban neighborhoods, and immigrant communities that are harder to reach.
Have you had a chance to visit the NCPA v. Azar page on the NCPA website? It’s the best place to find the latest information on the lawsuit NCPA has filed to put an end to pharmacy DIR fees once and for all. Among the resources on the page: a recording of the Jan. 28 webinar in which Ropes & Gray attorney Stephanie Webster discusses the case with NCPA CEO Douglas Hoey. Check the page often for updates on the case.
Pharmacy Times: Independent pharmacies are ready, willing, and able to deliver COVID-19 vaccinations. NCPA’s Kurt Proctor is interviewed.
HME News: NCPA CEO Douglas Hoey discusses the association’s lawsuit to end pharmacy DIR fees.