COVID-19 has introduced several new challenges and opportunities for pharmacists, particularly those specializing in long-term care. Now that we’re well into the vaccination stage—millions of doses have been administered in long-term care facilities—there is much to learn regarding vaccine management systems and best practices for pharmacies.

Our team recently hosted a webinar with a panel of industry thought leaders to discuss their perspectives on managing the vaccination process in long-term care pharmacies. 

We were joined by:

• Leah Gregory, PharmD, Director of Partner Success and Clinical Services at Alps Long Term Care Pharmacy

• Mahmoud Zegar, PharmD, Operations Manager at Medication Management Partners

• Charles Platz, RPh, President at Managed Health Solutions

Leah, Mahmoud, and Charles all shared their experiences around:

• Getting started with appointment scheduling and vaccine distribution.

• Communicating with long-term care facilities and COVID-19 vaccination clinics.

• Implementing processes with and without FrameworkLTC Vaccine Management.

• Determining how COVID-19 and vaccinations may shape their pharmacy’s future.

Here, we’ll share abbreviated highlights from our full panel vaccine management discussion. Let’s dive in!

What made you decide to vaccinate?

Leah Gregory: Our community was desperate for vaccinations. There were so many calls from people fearful of the pandemic and it has taken a huge toll on our facility’s census and revenue. We decided, regardless of cost, we needed to be part of the solution. We acted quickly and were one of the first 30 independent pharmacies approved in our state as vaccinators. We advocated continuously for our LTC (long-term care) patients and the ability of pharmacies to partner with their facilities to administer the vaccines in an efficient way. 

The LTC pharmacies servicing those facilities already have the patient data—allergies, medications, diagnoses, and insurance—we just needed a way to easily take care of the process so we can do what pharmacists do best: Help the people.

How has FrameworkLTC Vaccine Management impacted your COVID-19 vaccination operations?

Mahmoud Zegar: This solution has drastically cut down on time spent by my intake department to enter profiles for residents in facilities we don’t service. In addition, reporting to our state IIS (Immunization Information System) via Iron Bridge has been a total game changer for us. 

Prior to the vaccine management solution, I had planned on staffing up to enter the additional profiles and submit information to the IIS. The FrameworkLTC Vaccine Management solution has allowed me to operate my intake department on the same budget prior to starting the COVID-19 clinics. 

Leah Gregory: It has revolutionized our process. Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done without it. I did it for two weeks for about 300 people before we utilized the FrameworkLTC Vaccine Management solution, and it was a very difficult process prior to that. We completed about 1,000 doses for our residents and our state asked us to partner with them to provide vaccine services for facilities that were not our clients. 

Without the vaccine batch process with FrameworkLTC Vaccine Management, I would probably have turned them down. I absolutely would not have been able to sustain it profitably without some of the advances that we’ve made. I can now process hundreds of prescriptions in minutes. The additional doses represent approximately $60,000 in added revenue for our clinical program. That number will likely go up because many of the second doses are being administered after the reimbursement increase in mid-March. 

Charles Platz: Before the FrameworkLTC Vaccine Management enhancements, we estimated 10 minutes of paperwork for every vaccine. It’s since resulted in a 60-70 percent reduction in administrative time, which is huge!

How has it impacted your profitability?

Leah Gregory: As I said, reimbursement for vaccines went up recently, so we are projected to bring in over $160,000 if we just completed the second doses we have pending currently. We didn’t have to hire additional staff, but we did have some overtime from hourly technicians. Supplies were provided by the state, so most of that will be profit. 

Additionally, we have had several meetings with facilities that were impressed with our service. We have struggled for months to build our business because no one will meet with us, no one wants to take a chance on changing pharmacies, and that perspective shifts when they see what we can do at these clinics. I believe we will sign several new clients because of these clinics. 

Now that we’ve honed in on the COVID-19 vaccination experience, and you all have been doing this for a while now, how does what you’ve learned and implemented shape your future plans?

Charles Platz: We have created a new business model that took us from breakeven to having a decent model for COVID-19, influenza, shingles vaccinations, and more. It’s the best marketing tool we could ask for—in fact, the best we’ve ever had in the 25 years doing this. It’s been a game-changer for facilities. We’ve really proven that we save lives, and because of that, people know who we are now!

Mahmoud Zegar: We have stepped up as a profession. This is our calling, and I’m so proud. To be a part of this 100-year pandemic is unbelievable. MMP’s (Medication Management Partners) plan for immunization is that the sky's the limit. We’ve proven how we can execute, and we’re standing ready and willing to do booster doses when needed, leveraging the facility relationships and databases we’ve already built. It’s an exciting opportunity—challenging, for sure—but also exciting and immensely rewarding, and that’s why we keep doing it.

Leah Gregory: I’m so proud to hear what pharmacists across the country are doing for our patients, and I think ultimately what it’s created is the sense that we, as pharmacists, are healthcare providers, and I’m sure hoping that we get provider status out of this!

Want to hear more from long-term care pharmacists and vaccine management on the frontlines? Watch our free webinar, Managing the Vaccination Process: Experience from the Frontlines, on demand.