Urgent need for administration COVID-19 US vaccines support the demand for another suddenly hot product: pharmacists.
This week’s federal government has begun transport of vaccines to pharmacies across the country as part of the effort to start vaccinations. As a result, pharmacies add pharmacists, pharmacy technicians and other support staff to deal with patients, manage the supply of vaccines and take photos. Some employers even offer five-digit bonuses for pharmacy students just before they finish their studies.
“In the last five to six years, the market has been saturated with pharmacists, and there have been few good employment opportunities,” said Micheal Hogue, dean of the School of Pharmacy at Loma Linda University. Today, I am well aware of the regional and national chains that employ pharmacy students and pharmacists as quickly as possible to meet the requirements of COVID vaccination efforts.
Scott Knoer, CEO of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), also highlighted the increase job opportunities for pharmacy students.
“It was kind of hard to get a job in pharmacy. Now, it’s changed because of COVID, and pharmacists are literally saving the world by vaccination,” he told CBS MoneyWatch.
Jobs lists in pharmacies have increased by 35% compared to a year ago, most independent chains and pharmacies are growing, as well as employees as Americans hurry to secure your meetings. CVS Health, the largest pharmacy chain in the country with 10,000 stores in the United States, announced in October that it would fill 15,000 new jobs, including 10,000 pharmacy technician positions, to help respond to the pandemic.
Walgreens, the second largest pharmacy chain in the United States, with more than 9,000 retail outlets, is also hiring fast. It has filled 7,500 of the 9,000 newly created pharmacy roles to help test COVID-19 and vaccines. It is also preparing existing staff to administer the vaccine and aims to have 45,000 team members, including 30,000 pharmacists and 15,000 pharmacy specialists, by mid-February, said Rina Shah, vice president of operations at Walgreens Pharmacy. -a statement to CBS MoneyWatch.
The chain also employs another 25,000 employees, who are vital in supporting pharmacists and technicians.
The new rule is a “game changer”
A leaflet distributed by CVS Health indicates that the company also offers “Hero Pay” to pharmacy teams that administer the COVID-19 vaccine. A company spokesman said it would continue to hire staff to meet demand as the pandemic persists.
Most pharmacists are trained and licensed to perform immunizations once they obtain a doctorate in pharmacy. But a change usually issued by the Trump administration in October also allows pharmacy technicians who do not need a Pharm.D. to complete a training course for the administration of COVID-19 vaccines under the guidance of a fully licensed pharmacist.
The change allows pharmacists to delegate the task of giving a blow to a technician, releasing them to perform other tasks. Pharmacists remain responsible for verifying that the vaccine is appropriate for the patient and whether it is formulated correctly.
“In the pharmacy workflow, immunizations are sometimes such a blockage, because as a pharmacist you have to come out of everything you do to make a dent in the patient. For a technician to do this is a game changer in pharmacy practice. said Kim McKeirnan, associate professor of pharmacotherapy at Washington State University College of Pharmacy and author of the school’s pharmacy techniques training program.
Five-digit bonuses
Beginning in December, Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences began receiving an influx of applications for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians to help with COVID-19 vaccinations, according to Linda Garrelts MacLean, vice dean for external relations for the College. Washington State University. Pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences.
An internal job forum includes a Walgreens flyer advertising advertising bonuses of up to $ 10,000 for pharmacists and $ 500 for technicians. Other chains offer up to $ 20,000, said a pharmacy school administrator.
Kindness WSU College of Pharmacy
Breanna Byrne, a fourth-year student at WSU School of Pharmacy, is positive about her job prospects. She has already completed the courses that allow her to administer the COVID-19 vaccine and works at the Fred Meyer pharmacy on weekends, where she earns $ 23 an hour as an intern.
“They offered me an internship to help with the flu season and now I’m continuing to vaccinate for COVID,” Byrne told CBS MoneyWatch.
Her fiancé, Jeff Gist, also a fourth-year student at WSU, recently landed an internship at Walgreens to help with vaccinations. “They said that once I graduate in May, it will turn into a full-time position. I’m sure we’ll get a lot of vaccinations,” he said.
The pandemic highlights the broad skills of pharmacists, putting them on the front lines against COVID-19.
“Pharmacy as a profession has worked very hard to ensure that their value is understood, and this particular situation simply highlights the value that the pharmacist brings to the community and team,” said Garrelts MacLean of WSU.
Industry professionals say pharmacists are prepared for what is an unprecedented public health challenge.
“This is the pharmacists of September 11th. At first, I had no protection: no PPE, no masks, no Plexiglas. in the background, but now we’re right up there, “Knoer said.