University of Utah Team Provides COVID-19 Vaccinations

Submitted By:

A team of pharmacists, pharmacy residents, interns, and technicians at University of Utah Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, has team-up to provide COVID-19 vaccinations. ACCP member Benson Sederholm and colleague Megan Dryer volunteered to supervise and monitor individuals receiving the vaccine, helping to ensure safety and intervening in the event of any serious vaccine adverse reactions. Following guidance from the Utah Department of Health, hundreds of health care personnel received immunizations in a single day as part of a coordinated multi-phase plan. Staff from the Department of Pharmacy Services were involved in all aspects of vaccine preparation, administration, education, and post-injection monitoring. Pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and pharmacy technicians, trained and credentialed through a health system collaborative practice agreement, administered the vaccines. The pharmacy team carefully monitored all vaccine recipients for serious adverse events for 15 minutes following vaccination; individuals with a history of serious allergic reactions were monitored for 30 minutes. A kit assembled by the team contained emergency equipment and medications, including epinephrine and diphenhydramine, and was available to treat any severe reactions. Individuals receiving the vaccine were directed to the CDC V-safe website, provided a QR code to access the CDC V-safe After Vaccination Health Checker, and encouraged to register with the site using their smartphones while they waited to receive the vaccine. Participation in the voluntary CDC V-safe survey facilitates additional monitoring and reporting of significant adverse events following vaccination.