Good Neighbor Pharmacy adds COVID-19 vaccine locator tool
As it surpasses 1 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine allocated to it via the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, Good Neighbor Pharmacy is introducing a vaccine locator tool. The tool will be hosted on MyGNP.com, a web-based platform meant to help connect people to their local community pharmacy.
Good Neighbor Pharmacy said that with adults and some adolescents now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, independent pharmacy is positioned to help relieve the pressure on the healthcare system and physicians by administering them in their communities. The Good Neighbor Pharmacy locator tool is meant to promote equitable vaccine access, especially in under-resourced community, the company said.
To use the tool, users enter their zip code to see nearby community pharmacies offering COVID-19 vaccine appointments.
“We’re seeing massive progress in the distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines – and we are so proud to have reached 1,000,000 vaccines allocated to independent pharmacies through our program! However, we know there are still gaps in access for many under-resourced communities throughout the country,” said Brian Nightengale, president of Good Neighbor Pharmacy. “Independent community pharmacies are a convenient and trusted healthcare destination, and they’ve continued to go above and beyond for patients during the pandemic. We hope this tool enables patients to connect with our fearless pharmacies so we can get more shots in arms as quickly as possible.”
Good Neighbor Pharmacy’s support for the vaccination effort began in February via the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program, with its capacity for administering vaccines growing every week. In one week, the company said 102 pharmacies in four states were allocated more than 10,000 doses. Currently, AmerisourceBergen and Good Neighbor Pharmacy are serving more than 1,000 pharmacies in 46 states, Puerto Rico and Guam.
“We are incredibly proud of the tremendous growth in our program over the last couple of months as part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program,” said Jenni Zilka, Senior Vice President of Good Neighbor Pharmacy Field Programs and Services. “We have now activated more than 1,000 independent pharmacies across the U.S. and continue to see the tangible impact that independent community pharmacies are having on this national vaccination movement. The stories from the field are absolutely incredible.”
Among the stories are pharmacists who have reached out to their communities to address vaccine hesitancy, partnered with local nonprofits to vaccinate homeless and uninsured community members, creating mobile vaccine clinics and more.