Pharmacists at the Prairie Sky Co-op and Pharmasave stores are now holding Influenza Shot clinics. Flu shots are available to any resident aged five and older, with a valid Saskatchewan Health card, and are offered free of charge.
Due to recommendations made by the Pharmacy Association, considering the restrictions already in place due to COVID-19, there will be extra precautions taken during this year’s clinics.
Ian Fleck, pharmacy manager at Prairie Sky Co-op, said their site is already taking appointments for the clinics. Since one of their guidelines is to only have one pharmacist assigned to providing shots per day, residents must call 306-848-3682 to schedule an appointment. Flu shots at the Co-op will be scheduled weekdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and no appointments will be made during the 12 to 1 p.m. lunch hour.
Laura Resler, pharmacy manager at Pharmasave, noted that their site has been taking appointment bookings using an online/mobile program that is available on their Facebook page. They will also accept appointments when residents call 306-848-3850.
Pharmasave is going to be converting their store to meet guidelines for traffic flow and create clinic stations, so they ask for patience from their customers. In addition to any appointments booked, their site will accept walk-in clients, with the understanding that the walk-in will have to fit in to the schedule for the day.
Flu shots at Pharmasave will be scheduled Mondays to Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sundays from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
At both Prairie Sky Co-op and Pharmasave pharmacies, residents must wear a mask to their appointment. Residents are asked to supply their own mask when possible, but both stores will have masks available when needed.
The biggest protocol that residents should note for both sites is that they must be symptom-free before attending the Influenza Shot clinics. “Our screening questions will include COVID-19 questions, and more than likely we will be checking temperatures,” said Fleck.
Sanitization of the injection rooms will be especially important. The pharmacists will be ensuring their hands are sanitized before and after each shot. Also, there will be extra cleaning of the stations, and the chairs in the waiting room. “We are asking that residents respect social distancing at that time,” said Resler.
Residents can assist in respecting social distancing by not showing up for their appointment early, or waiting in their car in the parking lot until their appointment time. Social distancing will be observed at the sign-in station, injection rooms, and the monitoring area as clients are asked to wait 15 minutes after their shot.
“We also recommend that you come by yourself, unless the other person also has an appointment, or is a caregiver,” said Fleck.
It is expected that there might be an influx of residents wanting Influenza Shots this year, and both pharmacies are planning so that they can assist with local clients. The regulations in place due to COVID-19 are definitely new, and there will be some learning opportunities for pharmacists this year.
Influenza shots will continue to be offered until March, so if a resident has made an appointment and does not feel well that day, they are encouraged to contact their pharmacy to reschedule.
