This month, we are pleased to highlight two Pharm Sci alumni who together supported BC’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign earlier this year and share their reflections on being a part of this effort.
Alex Assumption, PharmD’19, Pharmacist
Fawziah Lalji, BSc(Pharm)’90, PharmD’94, Professor
What accomplishments have stood out for you from pharmacists during the COVID-19 vaccination effort?
Alex: Whether it be in their own stores or at public clinics, pharmacists stood up and delivered when it came to meeting the public's need for mass vaccination. At our store alone, we did over 500 AstraZeneca vaccinations over 3 weeks. This is all thanks to our inherent ability to mobilize and adapt for the sake of our patients. Additionally pharmacists made up a large portion of immunizers who helped out at public vaccine clinics around the province, showcasing our skills outside of a traditional dispensary setting.
Fawziah: At the end of 2020, after a year of suffering, loss, confusion and fear, I was ecstatic to hear of the extraordinary COVID-19 vaccine efficacy results seen in the clinical trials. Like me, pharmacists were also thinking that in the coming year everything will change - we are about to be part of the massive roll out of COVID-19 vaccines.
If you think about the enormity of the task, the logistical challenges of immunizing the majority of the 5 million people who live in British Columbia, twice over! The immunization clinics were staffed by a multidisciplinary team of nurses, pharmacists, physicians, and other professionals; students within the healthcare professions were also allowed to work.
Of course, pharmacists who participated in the AstraZeneca vaccine campaign within their pharmacies also contributed to the vaccination effort. They set up the immunizations within the clinic at short notice and worked through some logistical challenges.
What are some of your reflections from the vaccination campaign?
Alex: It's very rare that I find myself thinking that each vaccine that I'm administering is one step closer to ending this pandemic and getting back to normal. I’ve given many shots before COVID-19, but these vaccines felt a little different. After every COVID-19 shot that I gave, I had people thanking me. Moments like those made all the hard work worth it.
I also think that different forms of innovation came out of these trying times. For example, this was the first time that many pharmacies were using online booking to prevent crowding within their dispensary. Also, pharmacies came up with innovative ways to create waitlists for specific demographics to ensure that no shot was wasted after being taken out of a vial. Although these may be small actions, I think they helped the overall workflow of a pharmacy.
Fawziah: Pharmacists became an integral and valued member of the team due to their enhanced scope of practice, which meant that they were able to work in multiple stations. This is because we normally arrived at work an hour before the shift and were assigned our job for the day based on who else was working for the day. Not only were pharmacists working in the “pre-draw” area (although I have to say drawing up the last 0.3mL dose from the Pfizer vial seem to be easier for the pharmacists than others!), but they may have been the “assessor” (I lost my voice many a times talking to patients about their medical history, allergies, contraindications, discussing vaccine efficacy and safety, and obtaining consent – remember about 3000 patients walked into the clinics in the peak season), or the immunizer and documenting.
I have fond memories of the summer. Despite the grueling, back breaking work and long hours, I derived pleasure from knowing that I was protecting someone from a potentially lethal disease. In addition, I met many of my former pharmacy students – many had become accomplished pharmacists, some had become physicians, and my current students who had taken the course I had helped develop (see below!). I have never been more proud of my profession.
Have you been part of other immunization effort campaigns previously; how do you think they have informed the current response?
Alex: Before Covid-19 vaccines, many pharmacies had a demanding flu shot season, with more people now than ever getting their flu shot. With so much talk about how immunizations can end this pandemic, I think a lot more people were receptive to not just a COVID vaccine, but all vaccinations to protect them from viruses and bacteria. Our elderly population started to be more open to shingles and pneumonia immunizations and parents who were hesitant on vaccinating their kids when they were younger also had a change in mind. With so much talk around viruses and vaccines, the public perception of an immunization has changed drastically for the better.
Fawziah: Yes, I have. As the Director of Pharmacy and Vaccine Services at the BC Centre for Disease Control, I worked closely with the Ministry of Health, the College of Pharmacists, and the BC Pharmacy Association to create the current certification program of immunization for pharmacists the summer before the second wave of the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. I wasn’t a front-line healthcare worker at the time however, I would like to think that this enhanced scope of practice really helped with the assistance provided by pharmacists during the covid-19 immunization campaign.
What has inspired you about the overall health care response to COVID-19?
Alex: I was most inspired by the fact that so many different Health Care Professionals banded together to fight this pandemic at public clinics. The wide array of nurses, doctors, naturopaths, dentists, dental assistants, midwives and many others produced a well-rounded team equipped for any challenge. There were many times where we gave over 3,000 immunizations in one single day, and it wouldn't have been possible without a selfless team. I'm quite thankful for this inter-professional experience.
Is there a particular story or event that stands out for you from the vaccination campaign?
Alex: During the initial rollout of the AstraZeneca vaccines I had a patient come in and ask me how to convince their relatives to get vaccinated at our pharmacy. He mentioned his mother was hesitant of getting a vaccine that has not been studied for long and could potentially cause harm. I told him to book her in for an immunization appointment with us so we could have a conversation outlining the pros and cons of getting vaccinated, and if they still didn’t want the vaccine, they could leave. When I posed this option, I looked back on one of the fundamental reasons why I became a pharmacist. I believe that the field of science has a lot of intelligent people working on breakthrough innovations, but it also requires individuals who can effectively communicate that information to the public, which is where pharmacists fit in. This relative later came in and we ended up having a half an hour conversation. It ended with them getting vaccinated and that is one of my proudest moments as a pharmacist so far.