I don't get this immunization nonsense....

[vistaril]

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you guys shouldn't be doing immunizations in retail. Interns shouldnt be doing them either. Maybe techs should do them I guess......

I've heard some in here complain(rightfully so) that they don't want to do immunizations because it is nursing work, and they are pharmacists and not nurses. Well that's partly right I guess. But in 97% of cases rn's arent going to do immunizations. Doing an immunization is well below the skill set/pay grade/responsibilities of a nurse. So when you guys are asked to do immunizations at wags or whatever, you aren't 'dropping' to the level of a registered nurse. You're dropping to the level of a GED level 10 dollar an hour medical assistrant.

So don't put up with that crap. It's ridiculous.

That said, if someone wanted to pay me a cool 60 bucks an hour to give immunizations......heck I'd probably be ok with that🙂

 

[grumps]

There's a darker agenda behind having retail pharmacists certified to immunize. Wait until civil strife picks up to the level you see in Europe.

 

[Ackj]

There's a darker agenda behind having retail pharmacists certified to immunize. Wait until civil strife picks up to the level you see in Europe.

 

[nomad339]

that made me laugh

 

[grumps]

Next up: Environmentally safe electronics that also vanish in the body

http://news.illinois.edu/news/12/0927transient_electronics_JohnRogers.html

 

[Lnsean]

you guys shouldn't be doing immunizations in retail. Interns shouldnt be doing them either. Maybe techs should do them I guess......

I've heard some in here complain(rightfully so) that they don't want to do immunizations because it is nursing work, and they are pharmacists and not nurses. Well that's partly right I guess. But in 97% of cases rn's arent going to do immunizations. Doing an immunization is well below the skill set/pay grade/responsibilities of a nurse. So when you guys are asked to do immunizations at wags or whatever, you aren't 'dropping' to the level of a registered nurse. You're dropping to the level of a GED level 10 dollar an hour medical assistrant.

So don't put up with that crap. It's ridiculous.

That said, if someone wanted to pay me a cool 60 bucks an hour to give immunizations......heck I'd probably be ok with that🙂

it's not about the act of immunization...it's the liability. during my rotation at a hospital...i met some of the dumbest residents ever from foreign grads and carribbean schools to here in the US...the attending said to me "anyone can follow guidelines...i could teach a highschool kid to follow guidelines"

 

[BIOGUY2119]

I actually enjoy giving immunizations and I think its a good opportunity to get more involved with patient care. It breaks up the monotony of retail as well.

 

[croquemonsieur]

I actually enjoy giving immunizations and I think its a good opportunity to get more involved with patient care. It breaks up the monotony of retail as well.

👍 hear, hear!

 

[vistaril]

I actually enjoy giving immunizations and I think its a good opportunity to get more involved with patient care. It breaks up the monotony of retail as well.

is involvement in patient care at that level(GED medical assistant level) the kind of involvement you want though?

 

[Digsbe]

is involvement in patient care at that level(GED medical assistant level) the kind of involvement you want though?

It's not quite to the level of a GED medical assistant. We aren't just physically giving the shot. I think it varies by state but the pharmacist is making the active decision and evaluation as the care provider to decide if it is appropriate for an immunization or if there are any contraindications. We do the brain work and the physical work. We essentially prescribe the immunization under protocol. I know in my state it is illegal for a pharmacy technician, even if trained, to give a shot so it defaults to the pharmacist and intern as the only person on site who is allowed to give the injection. A medical assistant is not the one making the judgement calls or evaluation, they just perform the manual duty of giving the injection.

Personally I think pharmacy immunizations are a good thing.

 

[pharmasaur]

It's not quite to the level of a GED medical assistant. We aren't just physically giving the shot. I think it varies by state but the pharmacist is making the active decision and evaluation as the care provider to decide if it is appropriate for an immunization or if there are any contraindications. We do the brain work and the physical work. We essentially prescribe the immunization under protocol. I know in my state it is illegal for a pharmacy technician, even if trained, to give a shot so it defaults to the pharmacist and intern as the only person on site who is allowed to give the injection. A medical assistant is not the one making the judgement calls or evaluation, they just perform the manual duty of giving the injection.

Personally I think pharmacy immunizations are a good thing.

yeah I agree. it's a step in the right direction, some states right now are only allowed to give flu shots but some like CA allow you to give any immunization under protocol. Someday the pharmacist may be in charge of a person's immunization record and say "Ok Susie is 12 now therefore she needs X Y and Z" or "since you're asthmatic you need A and B". that's what pharmacists do now in travel clinics. it's such a waste of time and money to go to Dr's office to get a vaccination if that's the only reason you're going bc the doctor visit is like $300 plus cost of vaccine, if you go to pharmacy you don't have the visit charge. I have personally been wanting to get HPV but my insurance only covers it if I go to a doctor, not a pharmacy, but my copay is $45 and since it is a 3 series thing I don't want to pay $150 for it!!!!! wish I could just go to a pharmacy and do it there...

 

[vistaril]

yeah I agree. it's a step in the right direction, some states right now are only allowed to give flu shots but some like CA allow you to give any immunization under protocol. Someday the pharmacist may be in charge of a person's immunization record and say "Ok Susie is 12 now therefore she needs X Y and Z" or "since you're asthmatic you need A and B". that's what pharmacists do now in travel clinics. it's such a waste of time and money to go to Dr's office to get a vaccination if that's the only reason you're going bc the doctor visit is like $300 plus cost of vaccine, if you go to pharmacy you don't have the visit charge. I have personally been wanting to get HPV but my insurance only covers it if I go to a doctor, not a pharmacy, but my copay is $45 and since it is a 3 series thing I don't want to pay $150 for it!!!!! wish I could just go to a pharmacy and do it there...

when I was little my parents never thought to take me anywhere but the health dept for immunizations. Thats where I tell my patients to go now.

 

[Unchained]

when I was little my parents never thought to take me anywhere but the health dept for immunizations. Thats where I tell my patients to go now.

Don't feed the troll.

 

[SoylentGreen]

More turf, more money. I don't see the problems. If I had an ego so big that I was unwilling to do work that a medical assistant would do, I would have gone to med school.

I go to the public health clinic too because it's free, but if somebody wants to pay $25 for the convenience of having the shot at a pharmacy, that's their decision.

 

[Ackj]

when I was little my parents never thought to take me anywhere but the health dept for immunizations. Thats where I tell my patients to go now.

I go to the public health clinic too because it's free, but if somebody wants to pay $25 for the convenience of having the shot at a pharmacy, that's their decision.

Isn't the public health clinic meant to be there for the un(der)insured who wouldn't be immunized otherwise? I'm sure you don't need the handout.

 

[rxlea]

I hope I never have to give an immunization again and I will try my damndest to avoid it while on rotation 🙂 🙂

 

[vistaril]

Isn't the public health clinic meant to be there for the un(der)insured who wouldn't be immunized otherwise? I'm sure you don't need the handout.

I don't view it that way at all. For things like immunizations, I view public health depts favorable for their record keeping, organizational structure, stability, frequency of dealing with other organizations in transferring health records, etc.....

Im guessing all this immunization stuff is on the computer and easily transferable, but I wonder what it would be like to try to get CVS to send over immunization records to an employer that someone had done 4 years ago at a physical location that is now a jiffy lube.....lol.

 

[deleted205891]

I don't view it that way at all. For things like immunizations, I view public health depts favorable for their record keeping, organizational structure, stability, frequency of dealing with other organizations in transferring health records, etc.....

Im guessing all this immunization stuff is on the computer and easily transferable, but I wonder what it would be like to try to get CVS to send over immunization records to an employer that someone had done 4 years ago at a physical location that is now a jiffy lube.....lol.

Actually not to hard. I've gotten my own immunization records from pharmacies and took them to various employers/rotation sites.

 

[Corpseman]

Actually not to hard. I've gotten my own immunization records from pharmacies and took them to various employers/rotation sites.

For some it is too difficult to do things themselves.

 

[BidingMyTime]

Isn't the public health clinic meant to be there for the un(der)insured who wouldn't be immunized otherwise? I'm sure you don't need the handout.

No, many doctors don't give immunizations because of the liability....public health clinics are there to meet that demand (at least in my state they are low-cost, but not free unless one meets income requirements.) This is the same reason why pharmacies are now giving immunizations, in many places there was nobody else doing it but the health clinic, because doctors don't do it--pharmacies stepped into meet the demand (and for profit, but there is profit in it, only because there was a demand.)

With my children, their primary doctor didn't do vaccinations, but would refer out to another doctor...when that doctor retired, my primary doctor recommended I take my children to the health department (which only gives vaccines twice a month at selected hours), which is what I've been doing. (patients have to be age 12 to get vaccinated by a pharmacist under IL law) While it may seem now that every corner pharmacy is giving vaccines, go back 10 - 15 years, away from big cities, and a person definitely had to go out of their way to get a vaccine.

 

[SoylentGreen]

Isn't the public health clinic meant to be there for the un(der)insured who wouldn't be immunized otherwise? I'm sure you don't need the handout.

If they'll give it to me I'll take it, just like our Medicaid customers.

 

[crossurfingers]

Giving immunizations is too much liability for a primary care doctor? Do you mean they don't want to take the risk of being sued if something goes wrong? Why did they pawn it on pharmacists then? We don't receive nearly as much training as they did in direct patient care.

I just got used to giving flu, pneumonia, meningitis, Zostavax vaccines and health testing hga1c, cholesterol, and blood sugars. Now it seems like they are pushing for us to be a travel health center as well and give yellow fever, rabies vaccines, etc. I don't think it will ever end. I wonder what other things will be added to our list of daily pharmacy duties in the next 10 years.

 

[Corpseman]

Giving immunizations is too much liability for a primary care doctor? Do you mean they don't want to take the risk of being sued if something goes wrong? Why did they pawn it on pharmacists then? We don't receive nearly as much training as they did in direct patient care.

I just got used to giving flu, pneumonia, meningitis, Zostavax vaccines and health testing hga1c, cholesterol, and blood sugars. Now it seems like they are pushing for us to be a travel health center as well and give yellow fever, rabies vaccines, etc. I don't think it will ever end. I wonder what other things will be added to our list of daily pharmacy duties in the next 10 years.

All immunizations are the easiest things to give....Just stick the needle in 'em!

 

[grumps]

The fact that doctors are hesitant to give vaccinations should tell you something. Vaccines are biologicals, yet there are not produced the same way as Enbrel, Humira, or insulin.

 

[SELDANE]

Giving immunizations in and of itself is really no big deal. What makes it so difficult is having to do so while verifying prescriptions, counsel patients, answer the telephone, clear a supposed interaction, ring up cat food, etc..As for being more involved in patient care or some other "pie in the sky" concept I could frankly care less. Nevertheless, If your employer is going to pay you $55-$60 and hour to ask grandma how her day is going and give her some vaccine that makes her feel healthy, then I say just shut up and do it.