‘Misrepresents certain facts’: Neighbourhood Pharmacies reacts to Alberta’s new COVID-19 vaccine policy

The Neighbourhood Pharmacy Association of Canada, have released a statement on Alberta’s recent decision to take COVID-19 vaccinations out of pharmacies and charge most Albertans for the shot, urging the province to reverse their decision. Earlier this month, the province announced that people in Alberta who are not immunocompromised or living in assisted living or dependent on social programming will have to pay out-of-pocket for the COVID-19 vaccination this fall. They will also have to go to a public health clinic to be inoculated—previously, Albertans could get the vaccine in their community pharmacies. In a release published on June 20, Neighbourhood Pharmacies says that they are “deeply concerned” by this development. “Canada’s community pharmacies have been an effective and accessible delivery channel for COVID-19 vaccinations; firmly established as a key partner in supporting public health goals in all jurisdictions,” the association writes. “This change undermines equitable access to vaccination—particularly for seniors, low-income individuals, and Albertans living in rural and underserved areas.” It’s not just Neighbourhood Pharmacies sounding the alarm on this policy shift. In a segment for CBC News, Edmonton pharmacist Mohamed Elfishawi says that while he still gives out COVID-19 vaccines for patients that ask for it, he has no idea when that will end. Insurance providers are also being pressured by labour unions to add the vaccine into their group plans. Heather Smith from the United Nurses of Alberta told CBC News that would result in increased premiums for employees and employers. Meanwhile, nonprofit insurer Alberta Blue Cross says that they’re getting questions about covering the vaccine but figuring out which plans could be eligible will be a complex and time-consuming process. For their part, Neighbourhood Pharmacies calls out Alberta’s Ministry of Health for cutting pharmacies out of the province’s immunization program. “Importantly, immunization services at pharmacies are more than one-time encounters—they often serve as a trusted point of entry to the broader healthcare system,” they say in a press release. “Removing pharmacies from the vaccination network severs a critical link in Alberta’s health infrastructure and fragments patient care.” Neighbourhood Pharmacies is also “disappointed” about the suggestion that vaccine waste was a central factor in the province’s decision and says that this “misrepresents certain facts.” Notably, that wastage in pharmacies wasn’t due to a lack of public demand or inappropriate pharmacy decisions. Rather any wasted doses were due to the vaccine’s short expiry windows—since pharmacies were following government guidelines for proper storage, administration and timely vaccination.The association also says it's “concerned” with the lack of consultation with pharmacists and pharmacy associations. “We urge the Alberta government to reverse this decision and work with pharmacy providers and healthcare stakeholders to ensure COVID-19 vaccines remain available, affordable, and equitably accessible to Albertans through their community pharmacy, the association says in their press release.

‘Misrepresents certain facts’: Neighbourhood Pharmacies reacts to Alberta’s new COVID-19 vaccine policy

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