Week in Review: HHS Authorizes Pharmacists to Order, Administer COVID-19 Vaccine

Top news of the week from Pharmacy Times®.

5. Study: COVID-19 Pandemic Caused 50% Drop in Patients Attending Cardiology Services

Lockdowns during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused a massive decline in patients seeking cardiology services at hospitals, according to research published in Open Heart. Read more.

4. Community Pharmacists Make a Difference with Immunizations

There are many areas of patient care in which pharmacists can have a direct impact, yet a number of them do not have the confidence or understand the potential magnitude of that impact. Read more.

3. Nearly Half of US Physicians See Barriers to COVID-19 Vaccine Adoption

In a survey of nearly 2000 physicians across 31 countries conducted between August 8 and 11, 2020, nearly half of the those surveyed indicated that they see significant barriers to COVID-19 vaccine adoption for themselves and their adult patients. Read more.

2. Drug Class, Type of Pharmacy Influence Medication Substitution

Although study results show that substitution rates for most drug classes exceeded 90%, researchers have found that drug class and the type of pharmacy influence medication substitution. Read more.

1. HHS Authorizes Pharmacists to Order, Administer COVID-19 Vaccine

In an effort to expand access to a COVID-19 vaccine, the Department of Health and Human Services has authorized state-licensed pharmacists to order and administer COVID-19 vaccinations once available to patients aged 3 years and older. Read here.