Pharmacists want to be more involved in monkeypox vaccination efforts, experts say.
COVID-19 made people flock to retail pharmacies to get vaccinated. A J.D. Power study released at the end of July indicated that, as a result, patients became much more comfortable receiving routine healthcare at brick-and-mortar pharmacies than they’d been pre-COVID.
They might even be comfortable receiving the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine at those pharmacies if that were possible, but for the moment it’s not. A low supply Jynneos as well as some regulatory hurdles mean that, for the time being, retail pharmacies will not play such a crucial role in this pathogenic outbreak that’s appeared in all 50 states.
Public health officials labeled monkeypox a public health emergency at the beginning of this month.
“The limited supplies of monkeypox vaccine are only available to states and cities experiencing a high-case burden and we are not offering monkeypox testing or vaccination at any of our CVS Pharmacy or MinuteClinic locations,” a spokesperson for CVS Health told Fierce Healthcare. “Patients with questions about monkeypox testing or vaccine eligibility are encouraged to reach out to their local or state health department for more information.”
While barriers remain, pharmacists are ready and willing to play a greater role in the monkeypox response, Meg Murphy, the senior manager of pharmacy practice at the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), told Fierce Healthcare.
“Pharmacists stand ready and able to help prevent the spread of monkeypox, but action must be taken by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to allow pharmacists nationwide to order and administer the monkeypox vaccines,” Murphy said. “While many states already allow pharmacists the authority to administer the monkeypox vaccines, 12 states and the District of Columbia lack clear authority or have barriers for pharmacists to administer these vaccines.”
APhA, the largest pharmacist lobbying organization in the country, wants HHS to grant this authority under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act). APhA and 13 other professional organizations—including the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacists, the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy, and the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations—sent a letter last Friday to federal health officials making their case.
The letter was sent to Robert Fenton, the White House National Monkeypox Response Coordinator, and Demetre Daskalakis, M.D., the White House National Monkeypox Response Deputy Coordinator.
“As you know, pharmacists are the most accessible health care providers with close to 90% of the U.S. population living within 5 miles of a pharmacy, and patients do not typically require an appointment to see their pharmacist,” the letter states. “This strategic position allowed pharmacists to safely and effectively administer more than 260 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as of August 4, 2022.”
Last Thursday, Fenton announced that the Biden administration hopes to expand access to vaccination by stretching doses of Jynneos. “The collaborative outbreak of vaccines will continue,” Fenton said. “We will now surge and target vaccines when and where that can be most effective.”
Streamlining the monkeypox vaccination process should preclude having pharmacists direct patients to other healthcare providers, the pharmacist organizations argued in their letter. That only creates unnecessary delays in treatment.
“To ensure pharmacists are able to expand patient access as monkeypox testing, vaccine and therapeutic supplies increase, we urge you to proactively authorize pharmacists to order and administer monkeypox testing, vaccines and therapeutics,” the letter states.
The first cases of monkeypox in the U.S. occurred in May, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency now confirms more than 15,400 cases, with 98% of those cases occurring in men. More than 40,000 cases have been reported worldwide.
Murphy notes that monkeypox vaccine supplies go from the Strategic National Stockpile to state health departments. Either the state health departments or health systems that the departments partner with, administer the vaccines.
“By engaging pharmacists in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, patients have had timely access to patient care services, such as vaccination, testing, and treatment,” Murphy tells Fierce Healthcare. “Since December 2020, community pharmacists and their teams have administered more than 255 million COVID-19 vaccinations (45% of the national total), with even more COVID-19 vaccinations administered by pharmacists in other practice settings. Pharmacists can provide the same access to care for monkeypox vaccinations, testing, and therapeutics.”
In mid-August, HHS announced that as many as 442,000 doses of the Jynneos vaccine will be made available to states and jurisdictions weeks earlier than originally scheduled. In addition, thanks to emergency declarations, states and jurisdictions will be able to stretch out their vaccine supply so that each single vial can provide a full dose to five people.