Meeting unique and timely needs.
Can a pharmacist distribute naloxone without a physician’s script?
In almost every state, pharmacists are able to distribute certain formulations of naloxone through a variety of programs and special agreements. Unfortunately, with the increasing growth of opioid use in rural communities, the community pharmacy can be a true lifesaver in a healthcare desert.
How can compounding help?
Compounding equivalent medications to make it easier for a patient to utilize a prescription can be essential in helping patients get what they need. This is especially true for certain populations, such as the very young or the elderly. But many clients may not have any experience or understand what this can mean to them. The community pharmacy who provides access to compounding can help their clients twice – educating them on the value it can bring to them and the actual compounded medication.
How have independent rural pharmacies helped fill the gap with administering COVID-19 vaccinations?
In many rural communities, pharmacies are the primary means of accessing vaccinations. They are helping to distribute vaccines to these more dispersed communities at a faster rate than would otherwise be possible. This is a key role in helping to contain this pandemic.
What will this mean going forward for rural pharmacies?
It’s laying the groundwork for being the center of their community for accessing flu shots and other vaccines. Learning the ropes by executing the COVID-19 federal vaccination program and facilitating the distribution at a rapid pace, they are also learning how to efficiently and effectively exercise many practices that can be used in the future.
And so much more…
Whether answering the traditional questions for how and when to take certain medications, to providing effective and cost-effective OTC treatments for common ailments, the community pharmacist has long been a resource for information and care. With the strain on the already sparse healthcare resources in rural areas, pharmacists have stepped up even more. While pharmacies will never replace the need for physicians, in rural communities independent pharmacists are filling a critical need to meet the healthcare demands of their communities.
