Good Neighbor Pharmacy administers more than 5M COVID-19 vaccines
Good Neighbor Pharmacy, AmerisourceBergen’s nationwide network of independent community pharmacies, has reached a milestone in administering COVID-19 vaccines.
The company shared that it has exceeded 5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses allocated to independent pharmacies across the United States. This allocation effort is a part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination, a collaboration between the Federal Government, U.S. states and territories and 21 national pharmacy partners, which includes Good Neighbor Pharmacy.
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With COVID-19 vaccines authorized for people aged 5 years old and older, independent pharmacies remain an essential healthcare destination in communities, educating and vaccinating eligible individuals against the virus. Pharmacists have helped administer COVID-19 vaccines in communities across the country by hosting clinics and going above and beyond to help those in need, including uninsured populations, long-term care residents, unsheltered individuals and more. Since February of 2021, Good Neighbor Pharmacy has supported more than 1,600 independent community pharmacies in 45 states, including Puerto Rico and Guam.
“We’re incredibly proud of this milestone,” said Jennifer Zilka, president of Good Neighbor Pharmacy. “I’m constantly in awe of what pharmacists have been able to accomplish – from finding ways to be there for their patients during the pandemic to all the education, testing and vaccinations for COVID-19. I think the nation has witnessed the capabilities, value and care pharmacists and their teams can deliver. And I just want to say thank you to all the pharmacists out there. You’re all an inspiration.”
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Nearly 52% of pharmacies within AmerisourceBergen and Good Neighbor Pharmacy Federal Retail Pharmacy Program are in socially vulnerable communities, as outlined by the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index. Nearly 50% of the patients that received a vaccine through Good Neighbor Pharmacy’s program reside in socially vulnerable communities.
“As a pharmacist on the front lines, equitable access continues to be a priority for not only vaccines and booster shots, but also tests and treatments. My pharmacy has made it a point to reach out to community members who may face technology or transportation barriers and assist them,” said Jasmine Chan, a pharmacist at Central Avenue Pharmacy, who has hosted clinics outside of Monterey, Calif. for unsheltered community members and has hiked hills across Monterey County to find and help those living in homeless encampments. “For individuals who don’t speak English or are undocumented, we adjusted processes to accommodate them. We also coordinated and operated mobile vaccine clinics for hard-to-reach populations. I know that I’m one of the thousands of independent pharmacists doing this type of work. It has been an honor and privilege to help serve in this capacity.”