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B.C. pharmacists, pharmacies given green light to administer COVID-19 vaccines

Announced Thursday, as distribution ramps up to include 300,000 essential workers in B.C.
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Boxes of some of the first 500,000 of the two million AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine doses that Canada has secured through a deal with the Serum Institute of India in partnership. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Carlos Osorio

B.C. pharmacists are readying to assist the province in its mass immunization plan by administering COVID-19 vaccines when the time comes.

On Thursday, health officials added pharmacies to its list of approved vaccination sites – as distribution ramps up to include 300,000 of B.C.’s essential workers including teachers, grocery store workers and police.

The decision to include pharmacists happened after “many weeks of discussions with the government,” said the B.C. Pharmacy Association in a March 18 news release.

“Next steps will be working with the health ministry, health authorities and our members to determine logistics, the vaccines and their supply in a manner that, ensures the most efficient and effective delivery of vaccines to the most patients in the shortest time possible.”

RELATED: B.C. emergency, grocery, school staff get COVID-19 vaccine starting April

London Drugs said its chain of B.C. stores is also preparing to dole out vaccinations.

“We are ready to assist in British Columbia however we can to immunize people quickly, safely and according to the government’s phased distribution approach,” pharmacy general manager Chris Chiew, said in a news release.

“For now, that means sending our pharmacists out into the community to reach the most vulnerable including care homes and mass worksites.”

READ MORE: Health officials give timetable for vaccinating all B.C. adults by July

By Thursday, 465,584 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna and AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines had been administered to people in B.C. Of those, 87,120 were second doses.

The province expects all B.C. adults to be offered the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by July.



sarah.grochowski@bpdigital.ca

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