Pharmacists begin doling out H1N1 vaccinations
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Updated: December 01, 2009 12:54 PM
Caren Heughan is among the first pharmacists in Greater Victoria qualified to administer the H1N1 vaccine.
Heughan, who works at Victoria Compounding Pharmacy, has been authorized to give the injection for about four weeks now. She went through a training course in September, got her CPR and first aid certifications updated and completed an online immunization course.
“There’s a lot to go through,” Heughan said. “Some pharmacists have obtained certification from workshops in Vancouver but we just had a training session here this (past) weekend.”
She is one of 10 pharmacists certified to train other pharmacists on proper administration of the vaccine. Training includes injection techniques, dealing with first reactions, as well as documentation and administration processes.
Saanich pharmacist Ian Lloyd, who works at Cadboro Bay Peoples Pharmacy, was one of nearly 50 from the Island who took part in the weekend session -- the first on Vancouver Island.
“I’ve gone through the training for it, now I have to get my CPR and basic first-aid before the college will allow me to go forward,” Lloyd said. “There are lots of pharmacists (in Greater Victoria) in the same position.”
The certification allows pharmacists to administer a number of injections, including the H1N1 vaccine, seasonal flu and hepatitis shots.
As of Monday, there were 317 pharmacists qualified to administer the H1N1 vaccine across the province, with 10 of them located in Greater Victoria.
Linda Dammeyer at the Shoppers Drug Mart on Douglas and Yates streets said two pharmacists there are among the few qualified to administer the vaccine. However, they have yet to receive a single dose.
“The last I heard we probably won’t even be getting the number of doses we’ve been requesting,” Dammeyer said.
Heughan says she has administered approximately 20 immunizations since being qualified.
“That’s about what I expected it to be. We were given a predictable number of doses, primarily to our regulars. But now anyone qualifies,” she said, adding that Victoria Compounding Pharmacy had between 30 and 40 doses left.
Among the 10 qualified pharmacists, one at the Shoppers Drug Mart on Gorge and Tillicum roads in Saanich can administer the vaccine, as well as a pharmacist at the London Drugs on Yates and Quadra Street and one at London Drugs in Colwood.
The BC Pharmacy Association says the number of qualified pharmacists will increase significantly over the next couple of weeks, as they complete training and get documentation approved.
Flu clinics are also still open, including one running today (Wednesday) through Friday at Latter Day Saints Church (701 Mann Ave.) from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
For a complete listing of flu clinics, visit www.viha.ca.
