Should Walgreens be Removed from Vaccine Programs ?
https://pharmacistactivist.com/2021/April_2021.shtml
“Walgreens Not Following U.S. Guidance on Pfizer Vaccine Spacing” is the stunning title of a recent story in The New York Times (April 5, 2021; Rebecca Robbins). The story includes the following statements:
“People are supposed to get two doses, three weeks apart. Walgreens, however, separated them by four weeks because that made it faster and simpler for the company to schedule appointments.”
“But Walgreens’s decision, which it didn’t publicly announce, confused some customers and caught the attention of federal health officials….a spokeswoman for the C.D.C. said the agency had asked Walgreens to stop using a longer-than-recommended period between doses.”
“The company’s vaccine-scheduling system by default schedules all second doses four weeks after the first. Doses of Moderna’s vaccine, which Walgreens is also administering, are supposed to be spaced four weeks apart. Using the same gap for both vaccines was ‘the easiest way to stand up the process based on our capabilities at the time,’ Dr. Kevin Ban, Walgreens’ chief medical officer, said in an interview.”
“Now Walgreens is changing its system.”
“The vaccination program is a business opportunity for Walgreens, which is bringing in revenue from the vaccine administration fees paid by government and private payers as well as from purchases made by shoppers coming in for vaccines.”
“Asked about Walgreens’ scheduling, …a spokesman for Pfizer said the safety and efficacy of the company’s vaccine had not been evaluated on dosing schedules different from the three-week gap tested in clinical trial volunteers.”
“Walgreens’ decision to not adhere to the C.D.C.’s guidance on dose spacing for Pfizer’s shot left some customers confused.” One individual “who got her first Pfizer shot late last month has been trying, to no avail, to reach a Walgreens representative to reschedule her second-dose appointment for a week sooner.”
Arrogance and greed In my opinion, there will NOT be any clinically important difference in the protection provided by the vaccine whether the two doses are administered at 3- or 4-week intervals. However, Walgreens does NOT have the authority to change the dosage regimen. “Chaos” is not too strong a term to characterize the confusion and argumentative debate about the transmissibility of COVID-19, closing of schools and businesses, the effectiveness and safety of vaccines, vaccine distribution, etc. Walgreens’ action only adds to the confusion and chaos!
“The science and the clinical trial data can be ignored.”
“The FDA-approved dosage regimen and CDC guidance can be ignored.”
“We will decide on ‘the easiest way’ for us to give the vaccine for our convenience, metrics, and revenue.”
The statement of the Walgreens medical officer that it chose “the easiest way… based on our capabilities at the time” is ludicrous and must be rejected. If Walgreens does not have the capability to schedule consumers at different time intervals, is it capable of storing and handling the vaccines in the proper manner, or administering the correct dose? The Walgreens self-serving action is based on its greed and arrogance to give more vaccines to more people faster to acquire greater profits.
Remaining questions
What actions have state boards of pharmacy taken in response to Walgreens’ action?
Does Walgreens’ action violate professional ethics?
How do pharmacy’s professional associations view this action?
Are there other vaccines or medications for which Walgreens has determined “the easiest way” to adjust dosages and administer them (e.g., vaccines, antibiotics, cancer chemotherapy)?
Or is there silence?
The last question is the only one for which there appears to be an answer, so I will break the silence! Walgreens should be removed as a participant in vaccine immunization programs!
Filed under: General Problems
With no disclosure to patients. ‘err customers. This is not right. There is already enough confusion and lack of testing resulting in fear about this.
I agree. They seem to be willingly defying directions.
Steve please note: You are editing my “name” to be an email address-usually it is not that way.
I did not edit you name/email… there may be something within WordPress that is doing it. you are the first person making a post that has said anything
How do I take the name down please? It did edit me and say it needed an email address both places.