NCPA: Increase vaccine supply to community pharmacists

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – More COVID-19 vaccine needs to be made available to local pharmacies to speed up the rate of vaccinations, says the National Community Pharmacists Association. Lack of vaccine supply has been an ongoing issue during the rollout. When given access, community pharmacies are able to quickly and efficiently vaccinate their patients, including those who are overlooked or hard to reach, the association says. “Independent pharmacists are located in communities of all population sizes, including rural communities, urban neighborhoods and immigrant communities,” said B. Douglas Hoey, CEO and pharmacist. “The quickest and most effective way to distribute the vaccines in those communities is to rely on the pharmacists who know them best. They speak the local language, they understand the local culture, and they have roots in the local neighborhoods.”