Healthcare professionals across the board have joined forces to unite the front lines in the battle against COVID-19. Over the past few weeks, we took a look at how professionals such as respiratory therapists, lab scientists and radiologists have contributed their unique skills to virus recovery, and it has been nothing short of inspiring. As always, the Radius Staffing Solutions team would like to extend our thanks to those working tirelessly to keep the outbreak at bay. Among those healthcare professionals are pharmacists, some of the most hardworking and dedicated workers out there!
There are hundreds of thousands of pharmacy professionals working across the United States, and up until recently, they have been relatively underutilized in the fight against COVID-19. However, recently public health officials have rediscovered just how vital pharmacists are. Some experts have even suggested that utilizing pharmacists more can lead to lower hospital admissions, better medical control and significant reductions in healthcare costs.
Of course, parameters surrounding the virus seemingly change by the minute, but it is heartening to see the constant creativity and collaboration among our healthcare community in response to this virus.
Here are some of the ways that pharmacists are doing their part to keep us safe and flatten the curve during this outbreak.
Pharmacies Becoming COVID-19 Test Sites
Testing is, of course, one of the most beneficial ways of managing an outbreak. Surprisingly, pharmacists across the US have only just recently been granted the ability to test for COVID-19, despite the overwhelming need for test sites.
Over the past several weeks, pharmacists have become a vital player in performing broad tests for the virus. They have also been acting as the first point of contact for potentially infected people that aren’t seriously ill, and can determine whether they need further medical attention or should simply self-isolate at home.
Regardless of the slow start, this is a huge step forward for granting more Americans access to testing for COVID-19, as well as providing public health officials with more data to react to the virus accordingly.
Adjusting Their Practices but Continuing to Serve
Many of us know pharmacists as the people who administer our medications and educate us on how to use them safely. Pandemic or no pandemic, there are hundreds of thousands of people across the country that need safe access to their medications and have to enter a pharmacy in order to obtain them.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have enforced a thorough set of prevention methods for both pharmacists and customers, so that pharmacists can continue to do their jobs while remaining protected from exposure to potential infection.
Some of those measures include: wearing a face covering at all times, regardless of infection; installing clear plastic barriers to separate pharmacists from customers, allowing only minimal physical interaction; and only allowing a certain number of people inside a facility at one time. The enforcement of these regulations is of paramount importance, and pharmacists have been taking it very seriously in order to minimize the spread of infection.
Pharmacists Will Play a Vital Role in Vaccine Administration
The journey towards a COVID-19 vaccine has been a long and tumultuous one, but researchers at home and around the world are beginning to make headway, which is very exciting news.
Pharmacists are one of the healthcare professions that are authorized to administer vaccines and immunizations to patients, so once a suitable vaccine for COVID-19 is developed, pharmacists will be on the frontlines of providing it to the masses. Thankfully, in some states, regulations surrounding administering FDA-approved vaccines means that there will be no valuable time wasted waiting for the go-ahead, and more Americans will have access to the vaccine in a shorter amount of time.
Thanks to the recent help of pharmacists, the COVID-19 frontlines have been very well-equipped.
Are you looking for a new position in the pharmacy field? It is one of our specialties! You can email us directly at inquiries@radiusstaffingsolutions.com or head to our job board today for a full list of pharmacy opportunities: https://radiusstaffingsolutions.com/job-listings/
