DISCLAIMER: The information in this post is provided for informational purposes only and should not be construed to be legal advice or sufficient to achieve compliance with any particular law, regulation, mandate or guideline. All material is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, express or implied. In no event will SoftWriters, Inc. be liable for any damages on any claim or action arising from the use of this material.

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Operation Warp Speed (OWS) is the coordinated effort between a number of federal agencies to accelerate the research, discovery, and production of a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19. Among these are the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Department of Defense.

As patients in long-term care (LTC) settings are particularly vulnerable, they are being prioritized in the first phases of planned vaccine deployment. Pharmacists will play an important role in administering the forthcoming vaccine to LTC populations. The CDC has begun surveying LTC facilities to identify their preferred vaccine provider; facilities can choose to receive the vaccine from either CVS, Walgreens, or their current pharmacy provider. This option is non-binding, as facilities are not committed to their survey response, but will give the industry a sense of where resources are needed.

As the nation prepares to take on this massive public health initiative, SoftWriters is committed to helping our customers participate in the vaccination process. Here’s a look at what we are doing:

• Engaging our customers to understand vaccination workflow in the LTC setting and strategies for deployment. We are committed to building the right solution for our customers.

• Actively working on developing an electronic reporting solution for FrameworkLTC that will send vaccination data to state Immunization Information System (IIS) registries.

• Collaborating with our customers, vendors, and industry partners to stay aware and up to date regarding Covid-19 vaccination efforts and reporting requirements. We are tracking developments related to OWS, vaccine production, and distribution plans as they occur and planning to support our customers through this effort.

As we continue to build solutions to support the COVID-19 vaccination effort, here are some things that our customers can do now to prepare:

• Monitor OWS Developments. Learn about Operation Warp Speed by visiting www.hhs.gov/coronavirus

• Apply for an NPI. Pharmacists may need to have an NPI for billing COVID vaccine claims. If pharmacists do not have an NPI, they can apply for one through the National Plan & Provider Enumeration System.

• Register with your state IIS. Reporting to state IIS will require each pharmacy to register with the IIS within their own state. Customers can and should start this process ahead of time to be ready when a solution is launched

  • Find your state IIS website and contact info here

• Connect with the LTC Community. ASCP hosts weekly update calls on Operation Warp speed. Registration information can be found here.

Like many things in 2020, this is a rapidly evolving situation requiring flexibility and vigilance. We are committed to doing our best to help our customers care for the patients they serve. Thank you for your collaboration and outreach as we work toward supporting you through this effort.

Mark Fulton is a Clinical Product Manager at SoftWriters, a Pittsburgh-based company that offers pharmacy management solutions to pharmacies serving the long-term care community. Mark applies his 17 years of pharmacy expertise to the software development process, creating value by building a more efficient linkage between customers and the development channel.