COVID-19 Essential Patient Resource: Pharmacists

By: Glen Pietrandoni, RPh, AAHIVP, VP Industry Relations, AVITA Pharmacy

Pharmacists have been on the front line of the COVID-19 response to ensure patients remain safe and continue to receive essential medicines on time. Pharmacists are the most easily accessible healthcare professionals in the community. No appointments are necessary, and pharmacists don’t charge to speak with them!

Since the pandemic began, pharmacists have spent a lot of time educating people about COVID-19, and reinforcing messaging about how to reduce the spread, social distancing, hand washing, masks, etc. This is especially important where some may think they don't have to worry about the virus, or if it is not yet present in their community. Let’s face it, there’s a lot of mixed messages around the country. Pharmacists can help provide trusted information to help you and your family, absent of political views or stigma.

Forty years of helping people thrive within the context of HIV treatment and prevention gives pharmacists and patients an advantage today as we have learned how to care for each other during difficult times in the past. Most importantly, the need to continue a high rate of adherence to medication does not change because of this disruption in our daily routine due to the coronavirus. We are all champions for U=U. To stay undetectable during a pandemic of this new virus, we cannot let up on being adherent to the drugs for the old virus. YOU CAN DO THIS, and pharmacists can help.

I have often written and spoken about the importance of having a relationship with your pharmacist and pharmacy staff. That could be as simple as making a point of engaging in a simple conversation, for instance, asking their name, or asking if you can ask questions from time to time.  I’ve mentioned in the past that it’s more common to know the name of the person that cuts your hair or the barista at Starbucks, than to know the name of your pharmacist. If the pharmacy you are using pushes back or doesn’t make that easy for you, then you might want to consider looking for a pharmacy/pharmacist that understands HIV and YOU. You deserve that courtesy!

Let’s talk about how pharmacist can help you during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.

Pharmacies have remained open during the outbreak

You may need to check if the operating hours have changed, but pharmacists are considered essential workers and have been eager to accommodate unusual circumstances when possible. Try to plan ahead for refills if possible, as the pharmacies might be busier than usual.  Also, if your insurance or ADAP (AIDS Drug Assistance Program) plans require renewal or recertification, check into this before you are out of medication to avoid delays. Many pharmacists can help you if you have questions. With COVID-19  exceptions are being made to allow grace periods and extensions.

Consider requesting 90-day refills if the insurance coverage or ADAP allows.

Pharmacies often offer delivery options

Pharmacies continue helping people – particularly the most vulnerable – get prescriptions filled online or remotely, and have medications delivered to your home. Check with you pharmacy about options and potential cost of delivery.

By helping you stay healthy

Pharmacists can speak with you regarding your medication questions because they can see your prescriptions from all your providers in one place. Pharmacists can help you at times when you need prescription refills by contacting your doctors for you. During this time, providers are also very busy and difficult to reach. Pharmacists work closely with providers and could save you some time and stress.

Did you know you pharmacist can synchronize your medications to minimize the numbers of trips to the pharmacy or deliveries? Why not get all your medications at one time. That you also help you stay adherent and not run out of medication.  Makes sense! Another part of the pharmacists’ job is to check for drug interactions, monitor for potential adherence challenges and help you manage side effects or adverse reactions. 

Many pharmacies have apps to help people manage their health and medications. These have become more useful during COVID-19, allowing patients to manage medications through alerts for refills and even dosing reminders. We’re all a little more stressed than usual, so it might be worth trying these out.

By helping you save money 

Some people have prescription copays (money due to the pharmacy paid by the patient). It’s a good idea to ask you pharmacist (you know their name now, right?) if they are aware of ways to save money on out-of-pocket costs.

Now that you know your pharmacist’s name, it will be nice to speak to a friendly voice every month or so. In this time of COVID-19, isolation and depression can be a concern for so many people. As a pharmacist myself, I know that building relationships with my patients over time allowed me to check in with them monthly. In that interaction, our relationship provides some comfort and opens the door for questions and conversations. My favorite question to my patients were things like “how’s your dog?”, or “do you have a restaurant recommendation?” In doing this, I get a sense of how my patients were doing emotionally and is an indirect way to check on their well-being. Of course, with coronavirus, it is so important to stay connected, the questions are more directed toward staying safe and taking precautions. Because the relationship exists, this is an easy pivot based on mutual trust.

At this time, we can all use a helping hand and a friendly voice. Pharmacists can be that someone that fits this role during covid and long after.

Click here to download the "Talking to Patients About Access to Medication - A New Resource" published by the Community Access National Network (CANN) and the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM).

Disclaimer: Guest blogs do not necessarily reflect the views of the ADAP Advocacy Association, but rather they provide a neutral platform whereby the author serves to promote open, honest discussion about public health-related issues and updates.

Preventing Rx Medications from becoming the next toilet paper during the Coronavirus Pandemic

By: William E. Arnold, President & CEO, Community Access National Network (CANN)
       Shabbir J. Safdar, Executive Director of the Partnership for Safe Medicines
       Brandon M. Macsata, CEO, ADAP Advocacy Association

If you are taking a life-saving HIV medication right now, or any kind of life saving medication, you probably have two big concerns: “Can I afford my medicine if my economic status changes?” and “Will my medicine be in short supply? Will people do to medicines what they have done to toilet paper?”

Photo Source: USA Today

If you are concerned about affording medication, we strongly suggest exploring the tips in our COVID-19 one pager [English PDF, Spanish PDF] where we talk about the options offered by NeedyMeds, RXOutreach, and MedicationAssistanceTool.

If you are concerned about supply, don't turn to the wild west of foreign web pharmacies. That's more dangerous now than ever. Online scammers pretending to be Canadian, or in some cases actual Canadian criminals, have been perfecting their perfect-looking counterfeits and their fake-but-real looking web pharmacies for twenty years. You can find safe, U.S.-licensed online pharmacies at www.safe.pharmacy. No foreign pharmacy (even if it’s licensed in a trustworthy foreign country, like Canada) is safe for Americans to buy from.

But the good news is that you probably won’t have to. The American Medical Association has warned physicians against non-medically necessary prescribing to enable panic-buying. And pharmacy boards like those in Idaho, Texas, Nevada, West Virginia, and Ohio are tightening rules around prescriptions of medications, especially medicines like chloroquine, which may or may not be effective treatments for COVID-19. (For your reference, the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations is keeping a continuously updated list of state actions affecting Hydroxychloroquine, Chloroquine, and Azithromycin).

In the HIV space, ADAP Advocacy Association has published statements from nearly all the major manufacturers explaining that their supply is secure for the next twelve months, so panic-buying your medication is not advised, and if we all did it, would create a shortage where one does not exist today.

Photo Source:  master control.com

Ok, but what if I’m still concerned about making sure I’ve got enough medication for myself?

Talk to your pharmacist (and if you don’t do that often, go meet your pharmacist)
Call your pharmacist. If you can’t get them on the phone, you can go see them, but in this time of social distancing they would probably prefer a phone call. If you don’t have a relationship with your pharmacist this is a great time to begin one.

Let your pharmacist know about your medication needs for the next three to six months. If everyone orders a year’s supply of medication at once, the rush could create shortages. If your pharmacist knows about your needs, they can take them into account when they are ordering stock.

Plan to refill your prescription a ten-days ahead of time
If there is a shortage, your pharmacist has options to secure enough medicine for you, but they will need enough time to work it out. If you go in ten days ahead of time, that will give your pharmacist enough notice. If your insurance doesn’t allow you to refill ten days out, then call your pharmacist ten days out to let them know you’ll be coming in for a refill.

Ask your prescriber and pharmacist about a 90-day prescription
If you want to minimize trips to the pharmacy during this time, ask your prescriber about writing you a prescription for a 90-day supply instead of 30 days. Your pharmacist can tell you in advance if your insurance will cover a 90-day prescription before you even contact your physician.

Pharmacists and pharmacy techs may be the healthcare professionals you see the most often, and they know a great deal about medicine, the supply chain, and the best way to help you afford your medications. But they are working long stressful hours right now instead of sheltering at home---and they may need a little bit of planning to be your best ally.

Disclaimer: Guest blogs do not necessarily reflect the views of the ADAP Advocacy Association, but rather they provide a neutral platform whereby the author serves to promote open, honest discussion about public health-related issues and updates.