The Critical Role Pharmacies Played Under the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program
Under the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination, a program announced in early 2021 under the Biden administration to ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines for the American public, pharmacies are responsible for administering more than 263 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine and more than 50 million COVID-19 tests to date. This massive reach is not only a testament to the impact the pharmacy industry had and continues to have on the COVID-19 pandemic as vaccine boosters become available. Pharmacies set the stage for the critical role they will play in American healthcare.
Pharmacy Infrastructure: Paving the Way for a National Wellness Solution
More than 41,000 pharmacy locations participated in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, providing an infrastructure that gave the American public access to trained healthcare professionals during a time when they were greatly needed across all demographics. Under the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program:
- 40% of the COVID-19 vaccines were administered to racial and ethnic minorities1
- 70% of the COVID-19 tests were given to those in moderate to high social vulnerability1
The American healthcare system was stretched before the COVID-19 pandemic. With the added COVID-19-related needs for vaccines and testing, community pharmacies are in a prime position to serve as an extension of care to fill in gaps for other vaccines, chronic disease management, and even mental health services for all who need it.
America Puts Their Trust in Pharmacies
Public trust in pharmacies is high collectively coming to the public’s rescue with services urgently needed during the COVID-19 pandemic (and largely to those who needed it most in areas of high social vulnerability). As such, the time is right to build on that foundation of trust by creating pharmacies as a “test and treat” destination for flu, RSV, strep, and other seasonal illnesses. Pharmacies also serve as the care destination for acute illnesses and chronic diseases.
Contact Tension
The demands are high when it comes to patient needs. Tension Packaging & Automation works to help our customers navigate those demands with our pharmacy packaging and automation solutions for mail-order, central-fill, and specialty pharmacies. Contact us to start a discussion on how we can help your pharmacy operations.
Source
1 – NACDS TSE Presentation “Pharmaceutical Issues, Trends and Forecasts,” by Lisa Smith, Walmart Senior Director, Health & Wellness.