12/01/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 12/01/2021 11:32
NACDS and Health Preparedness Partners, LLC (HPP) today released a report entitled - "Community Retail Pharmacies' Experience During the COVID-19 Response: Successes and Lessons Learned to Date" - which centers on the key lessons learned from local pharmacies providing COVID vaccinations and testing as well as the historic and pivotal role pharmacies continue to play in meeting health and wellness needs during public health emergencies and every day.
The new report follows NACDS' recent release of two additional papers that detail the value of better leveraging the clinical expertise of pharmacies - as demonstrated during the COVID response - and which offer actionable blueprints and legislative solutions that will help the nation achieve better health for all.
As part of the new report, NACDS, in collaboration with HPP, queried its members using a web-based survey and conducted a 90-minute virtual discussion forum to collect members' input on the successes and challenges of pharmacy COVID vaccination programs; the successes and challenges of pharmacy COVID testing programs; next steps for providing additional COVID vaccination doses and boosters, vaccinating children and the co-administration of COVID and influenza vaccines; and interim lessons learned that can translate into policy changes.
Critically, these key findings from NACDS member respondents and forum participants can help inform public strategies for near-term increased demand for COVID vaccinations/boosters, COVID testing, COVID oral therapeutics (once authorized) and future pandemic planning. They can also be leveraged for use after the public health emergency diminishes to continue to provide essential health services - particularly to underserved populations.
Key successes identified by NACDS member pharmacies in providing COVID vaccinations and COVID testing include:
Of note, since December 2020, pharmacies have administered more than 163 million doses of the COVID vaccine, and the latest data from the Government Accountability Office (GAO), as of mid-July 2021, indicate that 92 percent of all vaccine was being distributed through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program (FRPP). Pharmacies' actual vaccination totals are even higher given that, in addition to shots provided through the FRPP, pharmacies also are providing shots through state programs.
Additionally, thousands of pharmacies have also offered COVID testing services throughout the pandemic, with the Biden Administration recently announcing plans to ramp up to 20,000 pharmacies within the federal Community-Based Testing Sites Program.
"The successes from these efforts demonstrate that pharmacies and their staff [teams] can play a vital healthcare delivery role during a public health crisis and could be further leveraged in normal times to improve healthcare access and strengthen community healthcare infrastructure nationwide," the report noted.
Based on the extensive information gathered through the survey and forum discussions - and to help ensure that critical pharmacy services remain in place and can be expanded upon to enhance access to care after the COVID pandemic subsides - the report laid out the following policy recommendations:
In October, NACDS released its first report in the series - which focuses on pharmacies' success before and during the COVID pandemic in confronting health inequities and disparities, and issued recommendations for further progress in this critical area.
In November, NACDS released its second report - which examines how integrating pharmacies and pharmacists into value-based programs and alternative payment models will help support the Biden Administration's refreshed vision for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.