Pharmacists play a crucial role in vaccination, public health in the midst of persistent viral risks

In an interview with Pharmazie Times®Donald Middleton, MD, Vice President of Family Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, reflects the 5-year anniversary of the Covid 19 pandemic and explains how important a role of the pharmacist has played and continues to be the spread of Covid, Influenza, RSV and Norovirus.

Since the “Quad-Daemic” rages these 4 viruses, Middleton explains how pharmacists can help by actively recommending vaccines for diseases where they are available, maintaining communication with basic care service providers and ensuring patients that patients pursue their immunization documents. In addition, according to Middleton, clear and self -confident vaccine recommendations from pharmacists who offer them as an option as an option can improve, especially for high -riskopopulation.

Pharmacy times: What can pharmacists do to protect patients and prevent serious illnesses?

Donald Middleton, MD: This is a very interesting question. The problem is that Covid in the USA was largely controlled by pharmacists, and they all have to put themselves on their backs. It is only crystal clear that we would still have an active role in the vaccination of the population without a pharmacist in bad streets. So give yourself a top on your back. I got my covid vaccines in the pharmacy. I know that you are experts for how nurses are offices in doctors. In the United States, the RSV vaccine for people aged 75 and over is recommended and not approved by the congress by doctors in the office. So it is up to the pharmacist to remind her older patients that they did not have a RSV vaccine and really have to get one. I haven't been to my local pharmacy lately, but unfortunately the CDC is under new restrictions due to our political situation. It may be that the larger pharmacy chains or individual pharmacists may set up a memory sign for people to get Covid vaccines. The problem with non -devices is unfortunately a significantly increased risk of hospital stays, an increased risk of death and an increased risk of long covid if they have not been vaccinated. Look to get [a] Covid vaccine and for those who are 75 years and older and receive an RSV vaccine. If you can say “Goo Goo”, you need a flu vaccine. All from 6 months and older must have a flu vaccine. One restriction for this is that pregnant women should probably get a flu vaccine at the end of pregnancy if they can so that the antibodies cross the placenta and the newborn received in the first 6 months of life before influenza. It applies to the RSV [the] Covid vaccine, we will see the same benefit. The mother therefore generates antibodies over the placenta and protects infants aged zero and 6 months.

Pharmacists were the key to controlling covid. We speak of 4,000 deaths per week, and unfortunately we still have 1000 deaths per week. But if the pharmacy community can put it on its shoulders to remind people of it [a] Covid vaccine, that would be extremely helpful to control this epidemic.

Pharmacy times: Can you think about the approaching 5-year anniversary of the Covid 19 pandemic for a moment? How did pharmacists play a central role in the treatment and support of patients and continue to play?

Middleton: The problem that I will speak again is that Covid vaccines have been approved for everyone, but the pharmacy, especially the larger pharmacy chains, were able to get to the vaccine manufacturers and put vaccines into the pharmacy early on, and which really put the foot on Covid and it from such serious. We are now seeing that people think: “Oh, it's gone.” I mean who are statistics from 2024 that 46,000 people died of covid. There are about 1½% to 2% of deaths in the United States [that are] Still by Covid, and it's not gone. People have to recognize that it is also a really strange virus. It changes all the time. It consists of amino acids and it is not a very good replicator, so it makes mistakes if it repeats. And that changes the configuration of the virus. A virus that looks like this can look like this with 1 amino acid change, and the antibodies they have for it does not work so well. That is the problem with covid and in the past 3 months it has changed. 80% of the Covid strains are now new, and we hope that the current vaccines that are recommended will still be awarded to people aged 65 or older, twice every 6 months – against the new COVID tribes. People try to keep data to inform ourselves of whether it is about or whether we will have to make a further change shortly. So again what pharmacist did was fabulous, but what you have to do is to keep your foot on the pedal and to remind people from the fact that these 3 vaccines are decisive to stay in good health: RSV, covid and influenza.

Pharmacy times: How can pharmacists work with other members of the patient care team to ensure precise diagnosis and proper treatment?

Middleton: It is a little difficult with the large chain pharmacies to keep a good connection going, Luke. Here, where I am on site, I even know some of the pharmacists, and we talk to each other to ensure that the medical doses are properly and make sure that people receive advice to maintain their vaccines. Most large pharmacies have a certain technology to either return to the Primary Care Doctor's Office's office. If you go to the pharmacy to get a vaccine, a form is filled out that always asks about the name of the basic care duty, so that the pharmacist can hopefully return to the doctor's office, what he has given. In pediatrics, every child receives the vaccines they have, but adults don't normally do that, and I don't know why. There are now so many adult vaccines; Adults must keep an eye on the vaccines they have received. If pharmacists give a vaccine, make sure that you remind the person to put the date and the type of vaccine in your cell phone or in recording the given vaccines. I have a small item of pockets on which I have followed my vaccines so that the person when the person sees another specialist and the specialist says: “Do you have a flu vaccine?” Instead of saying: “I think”, you can actually impose information and say: “I got that, and this is the day I got it and I got it here.” I think that would be very helpful if the pharmacy community would add this last step to give vaccines in business.

Pharmacy times: Is there anything else you want to add?

Middleton: Yes, just one last thing. There is treatment of influenza – it doesn't work very well – but there is no treatment for RSV, medical treatment and there is really a very poor treatment for covid. Approximately 10 to 20% of people [who] Get that Covid has a long-lasting problem with him in connection with him-think you or something similar. So if you give vaccines – I feel in the church and I am the preacher and I try to make the community to make the right decision – if you offer someone a vaccine, say to you: “I think you have to receive this vaccine because of your age or the underlying illness you have.” There are now 2 articles that show that the Influenza vaccine is just as important to prevent heart attacks as a statin. Isn't that anything? It is incredible. If you offer it, don't say: “Do you want a flu vaccine?” Say: “You need a flu vaccine. And we have it for you today and we can give it to you now. “