Oct 19,2014.

The date has been bandied about for the commencement of this year’s flu vaccination season. Although the date may change slightly from this posting, Nova Scotia is ramping up for a robust campaign to exceed last year’s success. Pharmacies in the province provided upwards of 80,000 doses of the seasonal vaccine while physicians provided only about 18,000 doses less than the prior year. Interestingly enough many pharmacies, including my own, were late receiving supply or had only one injection-certified pharmacist on staff for a good portion of the fall/winter months.

Last year, performing injections was new for pharmacists here, but we got pretty good at it. In the time since, I’ve been keeping in practice with travel vaccines and have recently been in demand for the shingles shot as patients become more comfortable dropping in to ask about them. For a service so straightforward and quick (the act, not necessarily the pre- and post-documentation), people genuinely appreciate the convenience and most will happily pay any associated fees to avoid sitting in a clinic waiting room.

I’ll be the first to confess that I’m not that excited about needles; whether I’m giving or receiving a shot, my feeling is quite neutral. I know there are plenty of practitioners who can give and not receive, or have a mental block when it comes to touching a patient. The sight of blood in any amount may not be on your daily agenda but the reality is that pharmacists have proven we can fill a large care gap…a care chasm as it were. An at-risk individual may be stopping in for a blood-pressure medication refill and perhaps receive a shot at the same time. A family of four with two kids under the age of ten come to pick up a few things on the way back from a matinee and now they’re no longer influenza carriers for Christmas dinner with Nan. A pregnant woman’s fears about harming her baby will be allayed.

The point here is that I see the value in providing the service to those that want it. Many members of the public are against flu vaccination. That is their right, and I have no interest in putting anyone on the defensive. I DO however want to be available to anyone who is eager to protect themselves and will pass the word that we’re ready and willing to provide for their family and friends if they are so inclined. Waiting on our first lot of vaccine is making for suspenseful week with the multitude of phone calls we’ve been fielding, so the demand is there. Signs are up and clinics are being planned. It appears we’re going to be receiving Agriflu, which is pre-filled 0.5mL of convenient, time-saving goodness. To be sustainable, our approach will be to treat any request for a vaccination no different than an acute medication for a patient; wait times may vary depending on the time of day and the volume we’re processing. These are duties we will carry out as best we can with the flow of the day.

You can bet that as long as the flu vaccine supply lasts, pharmacies will be instrumental in finding deltoids to receive it. When the season passes, we’ll be ready for the travel rush of winter.

Emergency kits inspected? Supplies ordered? Forms printed? Staff primed on intake? This year, it looks like we’re all ready to rock.

Just remember to save a shot for yourself.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency, employer or affiliation.