Immunization Update
Elizabeth Briand
Independent pharmacists in southeastern Pennsylvania have been stepping up to help people who are older and homebound get the vaccinations they need to stay safe year-round. Pharmacies such as Skippack Pharmacy and Eric’s RX Shoppe have joined with regional faith leaders and local government officials to offer this free in-home care, providing compassionate, personalized service to people who need it most.
“Since the pandemic—and before—we have been giving vaccines to patients who were unable to come to our store,” said Marc Ost, co-owner of Eric’s RX Shoppe in Horsham, PA. “Our team got involved [with the program] because of the relationships we have developed within our county as well as within the pharmacy world. When the county has an issue, because of the work that community pharmacies have done during the pandemic, they know we can figure things out and meet the needs of our patients. We are quick to adapt and always deliver the results intended.”
A positive pandemic outcome
Participating pharmacists are providing the vaccinations to individuals in private and assisted living residences, often after hours and on weekends, all in addition to their regular job duties.
That includes immunizations for COVID-19, the flu, RSV, and other conditions that can cause significant illness among older populations.
Mayank Amin, PharmD, and owner of Skippack Pharmacy in Schwenksville, PA, was inspired to assist homebound patients after caring for his late grandmother. “It was my honor and my duty to take care of her,” he said. “There are lots of people who are homebound, elderly, or disabled who don’t get the attention they may need. During the pandemic, we realized they were often the last people to get vaccinated.”
Amin joined Montgomery County’s Flu & COVID-19 Committee to help remedy that situation. During the pandemic, Amin said, “no single entity could have done the vaccinating alone. There was a list of 150,000 people, and lots of them were homebound.”
Volunteers would come to the store to call people and schedule vaccinations, and he and his colleagues would close their shop at 9 pm and go to homes until midnight giving shots.
By the time the pandemic began to subside, a system had been put into place by local officials and the framework was set to allow pharmacists like Amin and Ost to continue providing this type of care to vulnerable adults.
Even more important, positive relationships had been built between providers and patients. “Some of our vaccinators have gone to the same home three or four times, and people are so happy to see them,” said Amin.
The service benefits local primary care offices as well. “Primary care offices have so many challenges, and now we’re able to collaborate,” said Amin. “They’re reaching out to us. They know which of their patients are homebound, and they can tell us who needs help.”
Programs like these provide a way for community pharmacists to support their businesses while still giving back. “Unfortunately, within community pharmacy, we are so used to doing things for free or at a loss,” said Ost. “This program gives us the opportunity to go and vaccinate the patients who want a vaccine but can’t come into the store, while having a reasonable reimbursement for the services provided.”
Ost sees the program as a potential launch point for pharmacists becoming more involved in community care. “There are endless opportunities for what community pharmacies can do,” he said. “With scope of practice changes and reasonable reimbursement terms, pharmacies can play a larger role in a patient’s health and outcomes.”
Ultimately, Amin sees programs like these as a way to provide the personal connections that so many patients, especially homebound and older patients, may be missing out on. “Independent pharmacies across the country are doing work like this,” he said. “The personal care aspect is what remains with independent pharmacies. Each human being needs care and love, and each person that reaches out to us, we’ll go to them.” ■