Pharmacists preparing for second phase of COVID vaccinations

When the second phase of Saskatchewan’s COVID vaccination plan begins, pharmacies are going to play a big part.

The head of the Saskatchewan Health Authority talked about pharmacies delivering the vaccine being integral to making the vaccine as accessible as possible across the province.

There are more than 400 pharmacies in Saskatchewan, and nearly all of them participated in the flu vaccine program this winter.

Dawn Martin, CEO of the Pharmacy Association of Saskatchewan, said they’ve reached a deal for funding to pharmacies that do get involved with the COVID plan. It’s a separate agreement from the contract talks the province is still having with the association.

“We wanted to nail it down quickly because we wanted to make sure that we’re all queued up and ready to go,” said Martin.

There are still many details that need to be worked out around things like pharmacy requirements, booking, distribution method to pharmacies, where equipment will come from, and which type of vaccine pharmacies will get.

Martin said the provincial government and the health authority are working hard to figure those things out but a lot of it depends on vaccine shipments from the federal government.

Martin believes a fair majority of pharmacies will get involved.

“I suspect we’ll get a lot of uptake but it’s been a pretty challenging year for any health provider out there and our pharmacies, to manage everything coming at them with the pandemic and flu season, there’s just been a multitude of things, so there may be some that may feel that they’re just not able this year to offer that service,” said Martin.

She believes all pharmacies in the province will want to take part in the program.

“It’s just a case of, with their current resource levels, can they do it in the way it needs to be done and as quickly and intensively as it’s going to need to be done, and can they meet their patients’ expectations?” she said.

Martin said some pharmacies are already getting calls from people eager to claim their place on a list for a vaccine, but Martin said there are no lists yet. The health authority has said there will be several ways to book a spot — including online and by phone — once the second phase gets underway.

Pharmacists are expecting to be able to get access to a vaccine shot themselves, before the general public gets access.

“We want pharmacists to be protected, but we also want our pharmacists not to be carrying any infection forward either,” said Martin.

Martin said those vaccinations would likely occur at the end of the first phase, once all the highly vulnerable people are protected.