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Did you know that pharmacies have provided more than 141 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines across the country as of early October? Last year, 48 million flu vaccines were given at pharmacies. As we continue to battle through the pandemic and this year’s flu season, it is important to be vigilant when providing multiple vaccines. There have been reports of mix-ups between COVID-19 vaccines and flu vaccines. Check out the tips below to avoid these mix-ups in your practice.

Case study: A patient presents to the pharmacy for a COVID-19 vaccine. During the intake process, the pharmacist mistakenly pulls the Moderna vaccine for a 16-year-old patient. The error is discovered during the documentation process after the injection was given. What should the pharmacist do?

Another court ruling involving pharmacists’ duties in the dispensing of opioid prescriptions has been issued. Like the Ohio case referenced in September 2020, the latest ruling involves the idea of Red Flags and pharmacists’ duty to resolve them. Shortly after the Ohio decision, Walmart filed suit against the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the Eastern District of Texas seeking a declaratory judgment on the obligations of pharmacies and pharmacists under the Controlled Substances Act and its regulations. The basis of Walmart’s claim was that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) was seeking to penalize pharmacists based upon a collective knowledge theory even when the individual pharmacist filling the prescription in question had no actual knowledge of any fraud. This idea of aggregating the knowledge of employees across the company is very similar to the ideas outlined by the judge in Ohio.

Pharmacists Mutual cares very much about the well-being of our members. We support the rights of people to assemble and protest injustice peaceably. We stand opposed to any violence and destruction that is perpetrated by groups in the cities and towns that we serve. We know that you are concerned about the civil unrest that has impacted numerous areas of our nation this past year. It is essential to know that you have a trusted partner in Pharmacists Mutual during times like these. You can be confident that we stand ready to respond to any hardship faced by you or your business. As you are aware, a trial will soon begin against the police officer at the center of the George Floyd investigation. While we cannot predict the results of this matter, we can expect that tensions will be high.

As we move beyond the dark path created by the COVID-19 pandemic, we look forward to the prospect of greener pastures afforded through mass vaccinations. While the vaccination will lend itself greater control of the virus, it also presents a series of moral and ethical obligations to business owners of all sizes. There is no one size fits all approach to handling this topic in your workplace. We have created this document of frequently asked questions to help you navigate the vaccination decisions you will ultimately make for your business.

On Friday, June 5th, Illinois Governor J. B. Pritzker signed an omnibus labor bill that includes death benefits for first responders who were presumably infected with COVID-19 while on duty and workers’ compensation benefits for essential workers under certain conditions.

April 3, 2020

Jen Aultman, CPhT, Risk Management Consultant

Jen Aultman, Risk Management Consultant, CPhT

With winter behind us, our thoughts turn to spring and summer. Unfortunately, with the change of season, also comes the threat of tornados. As with every threat we face in life, putting it into context helps us decide what to do to prepare for the threat.