How pharmacists are staying safe from coronavirus while helping out patients

NEEDHAM, Mass. — Pharmacists often work in close quarters, serving customers who may not be in the best of health, even before the COVID-19 outbreak.

Now, as the novel coronavirus spreads, people have been taking more and more precautions to stay safe and healthy - especially healthcare workers on the front lines of the battle against the deadly virus.

“Independent community pharmacists are probably the most accessible health care provider out there,” said Todd Brown, of the Massachusetts Independent Pharmacists Association.

Andrew Stein, RPh, PharmD, the co-owner of Bird’s Hill Pharmacy in Needham, has shut down the pharmacy’s front door and has been opting for curbside pickup only in an effort to keep his employees safe from the virus.

“Everything is charged and waiting,” said Stein. “They call us from outside, we walk it out [and] deliver the medication to them.”

Curbside pick-up is just one of the ways Stein is trying to address what has become a public health high-wire act for drug stores.

“They need to balance the responsibility of getting medications to patients along with protecting themselves and their staff,” said Brown.

Staff has been working harder than ever and non stop to provide care during such a crucial time. To maintain social distance within the store, Bird’s Hill, including others, have reduced the number of people working at any given time.

The pharmacy is also santized between those shifts.

“We have split our shift so that way half of our staff is working in the morning and half our staff works in the evening,” said Stein.

Although there’s less foot traffic going into community pharmacies these days, there’s still plenty of calls coming in as anxious patients try to find out whether their symptoms might be COVID-19.

Brown says patients can also do their part to help pharmacists stay safe by getting refills early, timing out refills so everything runs out around the same time and making sure they get vaccinated against the flu and pneumonia.

“This is not the time you want to come down with other illnesses and have to access the health care system,” said Brown.

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