COVID-19 continues to be a major concern in healthcare in early 2021. From vaccine shortages to telemedicine rising in popularity there are many concerns on how this will continue to affect everyone’s day-to-day lives. That’s why we are sharing some of the most pertinent updates around the coronavirus with you.

National drug shortage crisis hits COVID vaccine rollout.

The recent COVID vaccines from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna rollout has had its challenges in recent weeks, with shortages of essential materials used in the manufacturing process. To help accessibility of the vaccine, the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program has been established. This is a collaborative effort between the federal government, states and territories, and 21 national pharmacy partners and independent pharmacy networks to increase access to COVID-19 vaccination across the United States.

You can view the list of the retail pharmacies in each state that will be receiving vaccine through this program during the week of February 8, 2020 here. This list is specific to the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program; some states have engaged additional pharmacies directly to assist with vaccination efforts.

Specialties That Used Telemedicine Most During Pandemic

As the COVID-19 pandemic spread in the U.S. from January to June 2020, 30.1% of all outpatient visits were delivered via telemedicine, but the growth of telemedicine use varied dramatically across patient demographics, clinical specialties and medical conditions, according to a recent study published in Health Affairs. Looking at data from 16.7 million people with commercial insurance or Medicare Advantage, researchers found that people in counties with lower poverty and higher percentages of racial and ethnic minorities tended to use telemedicine more heavily. Clinical specialties such as endocrinology, gastroenterology and neurology saw the greatest uptake of telemedicine.

The likelihood of the coronavirus going away anytime soon is unlikely. PillarRx is committed to keeping you updated with the latest news and how it will relate to your pharmacy needs.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us!

 

SOURCES:

“Variation In Telemedicine Use And Outpatient Care During The COVID-19 Pandemic In The United States,” Health Affairs 40, NO. 2 (2021): 349–358

https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/29/national-drug-shortage-crisis-hits-covid-vaccine-rollout.html

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/retail-pharmacy-program/participating-pharmacies.html