Technicians Prepare for Growing Roles in Immunizations

In a panel session at the 2024 McKesson ideaShare conference, Karen McNabb, PharmD, owner of McNabb Pharmacy, and Shannon Tesini, CPhT, a pharmacy technician at McNabb, joined Melanie Darrigo, PharmD, vice president of pharmacy retail operations at McKesson, to discuss how pharmacies can expand their immunization business, ultimately positioning themselves as leaders in immunization services.

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“We already know that pharmacists are the most widely accessible health care providers. We know that the hours at pharmacies are often better for patients to come [to and] get their vaccines than…a traditional physician setting. We know that has increased patient convenience and that also helps build our relationships with our patients,” Darrigo said. “Overall, adding vaccines can diversify your revenue.”

As a Health Mart pharmacy and independent drugstore, McNabb Pharmacy, located in Townsend, Massachusetts, plays an important role in the local community vaccination efforts. McNabb said immunizations can bring value to the business as well as the staff, which is a concept they hadn’t explored prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

When the pandemic struck, the future of McNabb Pharmacy, like that of many other small businesses, was uncertain. In response, McNabb offered her staff the option to retire, resulting in a significant loss of personnel. However, the enactment of the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act in 2020, which allowed pharmacy technicians to administer vaccines, proved instrumental in facilitating the pharmacy’s response to the pandemic and the subsequent vaccine rollout.

“I had 2 of my nationally certified technicians get that training, and they were certified by February 2021. For my technicians, that really was their untapped potential,” McNabb said.

Tesini manages about 90% of in-store vaccinations and provides many of the most common immunizations, including influenza, COVID-19, pneumonia, herpes zoster, and respiratory syncytial virus. McNabb Pharmacy has set up a phone line so calls go directly to Tesini, who can help patients schedule immunization appointments and provide vital information.

Tesini received her immunization certification through the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board. She noted that the requirements to become a technician immunizer include being up to date with a completed cardiopulmonary resuscitation certification program, working at least 5 hours as a licensed pharmacy technician, and participating in an Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education– approved training program.

Tesini took part in training developed by the American Pharmacists Association and the Massachusetts Independent Pharmacists Association. She said it was a 6-hour online course with a test, following the completion of an immunization technique assessment under the supervision of a pharmacist. In the training,

Tesini said she learned the importance of vaccine storage and administration, expiration dates, different needle sizes, and more.

“A challenge for me was working for the pharmacy for such a long time and [thinking] that immunizations were never going to be something that I ever had to deal with. Then realizing that it is going to be an everyday part of my job description was absolutely terrifying,” Tesini said. “At first, I couldn’t imagine giving a vaccine, but you get that comfort level and build relationships with patients, and it really makes it a lot easier.”

REFERENCE

Darrigo M, McNabb K, Tesini S. Immunization nation: how to build a robust immunization practice. Presented at: McKesson ideaShare; June 23- 26, 2024; New Orleans, LA.