I started working in the pharmacy at Safeway, which works as part of Albertsons businesses, while I was in school almost six years ago to become a pharmacist. Since graduating from pharmacy school in 2019, I have been working as a ‘floater’ pharmacist for Safeway. As a driver, I move to different Safeways when other pharmacists are outside or a certain store needs an extra hand.
Pharmacists have a variety of job responsibilities. We comply with prescriptions and consultations on different medicines, but we also make sure that the prescriptions we make do not have a negative interaction with other medicines that the customer prescribes.
Pharmacists are probably the most accessible health workers out there. We can answer most questions about prescription medicine, and we can be reached easily – by telephone or at the pharmacy itself. Because of our proximity to the public, I knew pharmacists would play a major role in the country’s COVID-19 vaccination.
Since the government announced that it will start distributing coronavirus vaccines to pharmacies in mid-February, we have received many calls and many questions about when they will be available.
We do not yet know when our pharmacy will get the COVID-19 vaccine.
Safeway is part of the federal government’s vaccine distribution plan. Our pharmacy has not yet given an exact date on when we expect the vaccines to be delivered. I know of pharmacies in Oregon that received the vaccine, but it was sporadic. Most vaccines are distributed among healthcare clinics and hospitals.
At the end of January, we received an online training to prepare for receiving the vaccine. In the training, we learned about the different vaccines currently available, how to store and administer them safely, and what Safeway expects in terms of supply and demand for the vaccine.
As a pharmacist, I was trained to give vaccinations in the pharmacy school, so administering the COVID-19 vaccine would be nothing more than giving another vaccine to a patient, whether a flu shot or a shingles. vaccine.
Currently, Safeway is also training its pharmacy technicians (who are not pharmacists, but help with customers and prepare prescriptions) to administer the vaccine. I expect some Safeways will set up clinics (at the store itself or at another third-party site) to administer it, and a way for people to sign up to receive it online and in person.
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The administration of a vaccine is not complicated.
Some vaccines are pre-filled syringes, where you just have to do something. Sometimes vaccines need to be reconstituted before they can be administered. It just means they might have to dilute with a solution.
Other vaccines, such as the cofid vaccine from Pfizer, contain specific storage instructions and should be kept in cold temperatures with minimal light exposure, and once thawed, should be used within a period of time. We keep this in mind when preparing vaccinations during our shifts.
As pharmacists, we receive supervision and administration instructions from the supervisors at the pharmacy and the vaccine manufacturer. I also use sources like the Pharmacists’ Letter, where healthcare providers can access peer-reviewed research and information.
The most important part of administering the COVID-19 vaccines is to determine their suitability.
At present, for example, we can only administer vaccines to those whom the local and state government deemed appropriate. In some provinces, it may be just a select group of people, such as those over 65 years of age. If someone comes in and is registered to receive the vaccine but is not 65, I would need a prescription to administer it. Pharmacists should always keep local health guidelines and laws in mind. We must also consider the person’s medical history and current medications before giving them the vaccine.
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We are expecting a huge demand for the vaccine, and our pharmacy is doing everything in our power to prepare for it.
I voluntarily gave the COVID vaccine to patients as soon as it was available at our Safeway pharmacy. Volunteers to administer the vaccine were encouraged; however, we get the option to do so or take a shop service for someone else who shot voluntarily. I received the first dose of Moderna vaccine on January 28, and I am expected to receive the second dose at the end of February.
During periods of overwhelming demand, such as the flu season, Safeway set up clinics outside the pharmacy to administer vaccines. I expect this will also be the case with the coronavirus vaccine, as people in the queue outside the store can become a distancing and flow problem. I still have other duties, such as processing prescriptions and helping patients. If the vaccine is given to us, it will probably come out the door for some time.
A Safeway spokesman said in an email: “Throughout the pandemic, the communities we serve have trusted our pharmacy teams to play a critical role in maintaining their health and well-being. At Albertsons Companies and Safeway, we immunization as an incredibly important audience.Our pharmacists and pharmacist technicians have prepared themselves to handle the unprecedented demand and administer the COVID-19 vaccine safely and effectively.We are very grateful for how our teams have served their communities and to their neighbors during these difficult times. “
The pharmacist’s identity was confirmed by Business Insider.