Some Whitehorse pharmacies are encountering challenges in registering their pharmacists to administer flu vaccines, leading to limitations in vaccine administration. Medicine Chest Pharmacy, for instance, has opted not to offer the vaccine this year due to registration issues, according to co-owner Jeff Spiers. Greg Oldridge, the president of the Yukon Pharmacists Association, has acknowledged reports from various pharmacies in Whitehorse regarding difficulties in obtaining their vaccine endorsements, a mandatory certification in the Yukon for administering flu vaccines.
The process of training pharmacists for vaccine administration typically spans two to three weeks, noted Oldridge. He highlighted contrasting experiences among pharmacies, with one major chain successfully registering multiple pharmacists for the program, while others, like Medicine Chest, faced certification hurdles.
Medicine Chest has been in a protracted exchange with the Yukon government’s Health and Social Services department for the past five months, Spiers revealed. Oldridge mentioned persistent delays in the registration process for one individual at Medicine Chest, emphasizing the challenge of completing the requisite courses before seeking the endorsement.
The Health and Social Services department of the Yukon government declined to address the delays, citing the ongoing caretaker period until the new government is in place. Meanwhile, the Department of Community Services clarified that they are not aware of any pending cases, asserting that pharmacists meeting the coursework criteria should receive their endorsements promptly, typically within 10 days.
Aside from registration delays, some pharmacies are also voicing concerns about the Panorama software used to track patient immunization records, citing inefficiencies that prolong flu shot appointments. David Winger, a manager and pharmacist at Shoppers Drug Mart in Whitehorse, compared the system to that in British Columbia, noting that the B.C. program, ImmsBC, offers a more efficient and expedited process for administering vaccinations.
