Fearless Pharmacy
Fighting COVID-19 one vaccination at a time
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, independent pharmacies have gone above and beyond on the frontlines, providing continuous care to their communities and so much more. They helped curb the spread of coronavirus by providing timely guidance to their patients online. They went to great lengths to make hand sanitizer available to the masses. They eased burdens, lifted spirits, and gave back to their communities in all kinds of creative ways.
From education to vaccination and all the acts of kindness in between, there are countless examples of humble heroism taking place every day in pharmacies across the country. We highlighted dozens of inspiring stories during the first wave of the pandemic and now, with stores stepping up once again as trusted and accessible vaccinators, we’re proud to profile even more fearless pharmacies as they strive to put an end to the pandemic.
Springfield Pharmacy
Springfield, Pennsylvania
Springfield Pharmacy was one of the first independent community pharmacies in the Philadelphia area to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to patients age 75 and older as part of Phase 1A. To handle the overwhelming demand for the vaccine, they created a Google form and put that link on their website to start building a waiting list, which quickly grew into the thousands by word of mouth alone. An additional staff member was also brought onboard to help manage vaccination appointments as they work hard to educate patients about the importance of getting the vaccine, set honest expectations with their community, and administer shots as quickly as possible when they receive allocations.
"We’re always having to educate our patients, advocate for them, and look out for them because nobody else will. It’s our job to help them stay current, help them get on that list, and help them get the vaccine because they need it.”
— Chichi Ilonzo Momah, COO and Pharmacist-in-Charge
Ochoa's Pharmacy
Edinburg, Texas
Less than 15 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, Ochoa’s Pharmacy worked diligently to meet state requirements and secure allocation of the Moderna vaccine. They have a large percentage of patients who are elderly and unable to wait for hours in line at a mass vaccination site, so it was a major win to be able to administer the vaccine at their pharmacy where their patients feel most comfortable.
"To be able to provide the vaccine, it's a blessing. We're so grateful. And to be able to do this alongside my father, who's also a pharmacist, is the icing on the cake.”
— Alessandra Ochoa, PharmD, RPh
Rossi Pharmacy
Brooklyn, New York
When Rossi Pharmacy experienced difficulties getting elderly patients to schedule appointments online, they started doing pop-up vaccination events at senior affordable housing facilities and promoting them on Facebook. They partnered with the office of State Senator Jabari Brisport to identify East New York residents that were homebound or struggling to find appointments elsewhere and brought the vaccine to them. They’ve now administered doses to hundreds of people across several locations, including Stonewall House, an affordable housing complex for LGBTQ+ seniors operated by SAGE.
"We have to do everything we can to keep providing, keep vaccinating people. And the patients have loved it because they got to get vaccinated somewhere local.”
— Ambar Keluskar, Supervising Pharmacist
Haller’s Pharmacy
Fremont, California
When the large chain pharmacies in Fremont couldn’t keep up with their COVID-19 vaccine allocations, Haller’s Pharmacy was able to step in and put to work its community connections and pre-existing relationships with congregate and assisted living facilities. They started doing mobile vaccination clinics by tapping into the infrastructure that they had already established while sending pharmacists out into the community during the pandemic. Those clinics led to Haller’s becoming known as a go-to place to send extra vaccine doses in danger of expiring. And by teaming up with the Fremont Fire Department on Saturdays and Sundays, they’ve been able to ramp up their operations to administer up to 1,400 doses over the course of a weekend.
"This is where my kids go to school. This is where I grew up. This is where I'm in a Rotarian. I'm on the Fremont chamber board. We know where people are and what they need.”
— Jasmine Basrai, Chief Operating Officer
McCoy-Tygart Drug
Sheridan, Arkansas
McCoy-Tygart Drug teamed up with other local care providers, including Sheridan Family Pharmacy and The Winston Clinic, to expedite the vaccination process in their community. They started vaccinating health care workers and first responders as part of a Phase 1A state program, beginning with a vaccination clinic for local assisted living facility Crown Point Retirement. Then working together with their partnering care providers, they set up a clinic as part of Phase 1B for the Sheridan School District and borrowed space at First Landmark Baptist Church to vaccinate people age 70 and over. In between allocations, they’re even notifying their patients when other vaccination clinics are happening around town, proving that this is truly a community effort.
"We want to get Grant County vaccinated as quickly and efficiently as possible, and we’re doing our best to knock this out as soon as we can.”
— Casey Hedden, PharmD
Plano Pharmacy
Plano, Texas
Once Plano Pharmacy received word that they were approved to receive COVID-19 vaccine as part of the Texas state-run program, they immediately ramped up their efforts to get patients signed up on their waiting list. Before long they were receiving allocations, scheduling appointments, and vaccinating healthcare workers, people with medical conditions, and people 65 and older per state and CDC guidelines. They are proudly serving the Dallas-Fort Worth area and delivering patient experiences that are exceeding expectations.
From the patient’s perspective
Glynnis, a senior director of human resources at AmerisourceBergen, was waiting patiently with her spouse to hear from their family physician about getting the COVID-19 vaccine in the doctor’s office. They were both eligible to receive their shots based on the vaccination phase Texas was in at the time, but they still hadn’t been notified about scheduling an appointment. That’s when one of her neighbors told her that their local Good Neighbor Pharmacy, Plano Pharmacy, had the Moderna vaccine and was accepting appointments for eligible patients.
Glynnis’s response:
“Imagine my surprise when I discovered one of our customers was vaccinating close by. My spouse and I were both able to schedule appointments and get our shots. It was great seeing all the hard work of my colleagues at AmerisourceBergen and Good Neighbor Pharmacy coming to fruition right here in my community. Together with independent pharmacies like Plano Pharmacy, we’re making such an impact.”
Harry Race Pharmacy
Sitka, Alaska
By collaborating with the State of Alaska, Harry Race Pharmacy was able to complete its first round of Phase 1a COVID-19 vaccinations in late December. The team set up at the local firehall and administered the vaccine to EMT Sitka Firehall, Sitka Police, Alaska State Troopers, Guardian Medic First Responders, and local healthcare workers. As Harry Race Pharmacy received more doses in the new year, they expanded their distribution to include long-term care residents and staff, and then all Alaskans age 65 and above, per CDC and state guidelines. They added links to their website for people to schedule an appointment for pre-selected dates, and they also provided helpful FAQs about the COVID-19 vaccine to alleviate concerns and encourage patience through the lengthy vaccine rollout process.
"We’re setting up and prepping and following the tiers that the state’s giving us to go by for administration.”
— Dirk White, Owner and Pharmacist
Hillcrest Pharmacy
Vernon, Texas
Hillcrest Pharmacy is located in a rural town with 11,000 residents and a sizable elderly population. They knew it would be a struggle for many of their Medicare patients to travel to a large vaccination clinic or navigate an online process to schedule an appointment. So when they were selected to participate in Phase 1A as part of the Federal Pharmacy Partnership Strategy for COVID-19 Vaccination, they started calling their most vulnerable patients who would need a little extra assistance. They received their first federal shipment of the Moderna vaccine late on a Wednesday afternoon and, thanks to their personalized approach, were vaccinating eligible patients an hour later.
"When you’re dealing with someone who’s 85, they sometimes can’t manage signing up online. This goes back to knowing our customers — we know who can manage that and who can’t, so we’ve spent a lot of time on the phone.”
— Adam Bayer, Owner and Pharmacist
Quality Care Pharmacy
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Quality Care Pharmacy is participating in Phase 1A of Pennsylvania’s state-run program alongside the other stores in their pharmacy group, Adams Cumberland Pharmacy, Albert's Pharmacy, BigSpring Pharmacy, Holly Pharmacy, Mauch Chunk Pharmacy, and West Perry Pharmacy. Together, they’re vaccinating those most at risk of illness, including health care workers, patients living in long-term care facilities, people age 65 and older, and individuals with high-risk conditions. They’ve also held vaccination clinics for first responders like the members of the Cumberland Goodwill EMS and Newville EMS. In their first four weeks of vaccinating, the pharmacies have administered more than 16,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to customers from all corners of Pennsylvania.
From the patient’s perspective
Drew, a two-time cancer survivor and bone marrow transplant recipient, was told by his oncologist that he was qualified to receive a COVID-19 vaccination as part of Phase 1A and that he should contact his family doctor as soon as possible to schedule an appointment. Unfortunately, his primary care physician wasn’t vaccinating.
Drew was then bounced around a few different avenues without any luck. Losing hope, he reached out to Good Neighbor Pharmacy to see if any of our independent stores were participating in Phase 1A. Within a couple hours, a Good Neighbor Pharmacy manager connected with the Business Coaching team and coach Brandon Antinopoulos was on the phone talking to Drew about his options.
At that time, there weren’t any Good Neighbor Pharmacy members vaccinating in Philadelphia where Drew is located, but Brandon shared that Quality Care Pharmacy and their affiliated stores had received allocations and were hosting clinics in the Harrisburg area. Drew was more than willing to make the 100-mile drive to get the vaccine, which for him was absolutely necessary due to his high-risk status. Brandon provided him the web address to the pharmacy’s scheduling platform over the phone and Drew was able to book his appointment on the spot. Quality Care Pharmacy's digital scheduling platform makes it very easy for customers to schedule an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine and the software automatically schedules the follow-up dose, which helps to ensure the second dose is not missed.
Drew’s response:
“I actually got through. I can’t believe this. Is this true? Thank you SO MUCH! I really can't thank you enough. All good vibes your way.”
Glenn’s Pharmacies
Marion and Salem, Kentucky
Glenn’s Apothecary and Glenn’s Prescription Center teamed up to host their first COVID-19 vaccination clinic in the education building of their local hospital. The facility has a wrap-around driveway, which allowed them to administer most of the vaccinations curbside. After the event, they continued getting patients signed up to their waiting list and posted a video tutorial on Facebook to walk people through the simple process.
"It was such a successful day and everyone was very appreciative. Our customers are special people!”
— Tashena Hill, Owner and Pharmacist
Healthville Pharmacy
Laredo, Texas
Healthville Pharmacy worked diligently with community leaders and city departments of health, fire, and police to organize a large-scale COVID-19 vaccine drive-thru clinic. They were able to vaccinate frontline healthcare workers, residents at long-term care facilities, people over 65, and patients with chronic medical conditions as part of Phase 1A and Phase 1B.
"Healthville Pharmacy thrives on serving the community and we’ll continue to do our part to help combat the challenges we all face with the COVID-19 pandemic. At the beginning, we compounded hand sanitizer when there was a shortage. As soon as the vaccine became available, we were among the first to vaccinate. We’re persistently responsive when it comes to pushing our community through tough times.”
— Kehinde Busari, Pharmacy Manager
Thank you to every fearless pharmacy far and wide
Hickory Hill Pharmacy
Helena, Arkansas
Hickory Hill Pharmacy began vaccinating medical professionals, emergency responders, firefighters, and police officers at the beginning of the year as part of Phase 1A. Since then, they’ve rolled into Phase 1B as they work their way through their lengthy waiting list, which they’re compiling over the phone to simplify the process for their patients. They also hosted a highly anticipated vaccine clinic for the educators of Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas. And to ensure patients are getting their follow-up shots in a timely manner, owner Ed Wright is making house calls as needed to deliver those critical second doses in person.
"Our pharmacists are honored to care for Phillips County and do our part to help each and every one of our patients during these difficult times.”
— Ed Wright, Owner and Pharmacist
Magnolia Pharmacy
Magnolia, Texas
It wasn’t long after the first COVID-19 vaccine was granted FDA approval that Steve Hoffart, owner of Magnolia Pharmacy, took to Facebook Live to give his community an enthusiastic update on the topic. Two weeks later, Magnolia Pharmacy had 500 appointments booked for their first allocation and vaccinations were underway for frontline healthcare workers in the area. Their pharmacy was able to contract directly with the State of Texas to procure doses of the Moderna vaccine. While waiting for their next allocation, Magnolia Pharmacy posted a form to their website where patients could provide their name and email address to be notified as soon as more doses are available and the pharmacy’s appointment portal is reopening.
"Being in a small community and having access to something like this that can change the lives of our patients is something to be very proud of. It’s a ray of light to know that we’re on the cusp of changing how this pandemic affects us.”
— Steve Hoffart, Owner and Pharmacist
Woodsprings Pharmacy
Jonesboro, Arkansas
Woodsprings Pharmacy was one of five pharmacies in Arkansas to receive the first round of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer through a state-run program. They were tasked with administration and distribution to more than a dozen small- and medium-sized hospitals and healthcare facilities in their area.
"Vaccines are something we handle every day. This one does present some more issues due to its storage requirements being pretty strenuous. But, we are ready for it. That’s why pharmacies were chosen, because we are the experts in the supply chain of medications and vaccines.”
— Rian Snell, Director of Clinical Services
Moundsville Pharmacy
Moundsville, West Virginia
Moundsville Pharmacy participated in Phase 1A COVID-19 vaccine administration to long-term care facilities, assisted living facilities, healthcare providers, and two county school systems in their area. They’ve also been providing near-daily COVID-19 vaccine updates via Facebook, providing guidance around the different high-priority groups, how to register for an appointment at their pharmacy through the Vaccine Administration Management System (VAMS), and where else to get vaccinated when they were in between allocations.
"Moundsville Pharmacy is proud to be part of an outstanding network of pharmacy movers and shakers in CPESN West Virginia. We're ready to put even MORE shots in arms!”
— Jason Turner, Owner and Pharmacist
Dan’s Wellness Pharmacy
Stafford, Virginia
While waiting for the vaccine to arrive, Dan’s Wellness Pharmacy spent their December giving out bags of grocery staples to the people in their community. Owner Dan Singh and his family knew the folks in the surrounding area were struggling, so they turned their storage room into a temporary food pantry, filling it every few days with groceries they purchased and donations from their pharmacy staff and customers. They then filled bags with items like cereal, pasta, and canned vegetables and set them up outside for people to take at their own discretion.
"My family talked about it and we wanted to do something that people could easily grab and not feel bad about doing it.”
— Dan Singh, Owner and Pharmacist
How are you helping your community overcome COVID-19?
Whether you’re actively vaccinating or supporting your patients in other ways, we want to showcase your story and the best practices you’ve learned with your peers. Tell us what your new workflow looks like, how you’re scheduling appointments, what the response from your community has been, and anything else you want to share. Fill out the following form, upload your pictures, and we’ll highlight how your team is making a difference in your community.