COVID-19: THE ROLE OF PHARMACY TECHNICIANS IN VACCINE ADMINISTRATION
BY MIKE JOHNSTON, CPhT
W ith the continued rise in COVID-19 infection rates and additional pressure being placed within health systems, the administration of the recently approved COVID-19 vaccine has never been more crucial. However, the logistics of adequately administering the vaccine may result in overwhelming stress within community pharmacies and delays in administration times due to the massive population that needs to be vaccinated. With new guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) allowing pharmacy technicians to immunize due to the pandemic, a larger amount of the population will become immunized within a quicker timeframe, allowing community pharmacies to maintain efficiency and productivity. The incorporation of this new guidance will aid in the promotion of public health and safety and offers pharmacy technicians more responsibilities and opportunities to make a positive impact on community health outcomes. The purpose of this article is to provide a comprehensive view of immunizations administered by pharmacy technicians and how it has evolved, the impact that the new HHS guidance will have on the administration of COVID-19 vaccines, and how the National Pharmacy Technician Association (NPTA) is providing resources for technicians to meet HHS guidelines.
CPhT CONNECT www.pharmacy technician.org
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