So much can change in a month! Since our last newsletter, we have received and administered second doses to all patients who had received their first dose from us and were due. Then, after going about a full month without receiving first doses, we received great news from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Norland Avenue Pharmacy has been chosen as one of only 300 providers in the state who have best demonstrated the ability to help achieve the goal of getting as many individuals the COVID vaccination as quickly and equitably as possible. We are honored to be provided this opportunity to serve our community, and we are excited to be getting regular deliveries of both Moderna and Pfizer vaccine.
We received our first big shipment of vaccine the week of March 15th. Since then, we have been scheduling and administering over 300 vaccinations each day. We were able to call all of the 4,000+ phone numbers on our vaccination notification list and no longer have the need to keep a list going forward.
We are happy to report that we now have appointments available on a regular basis!
We are trying to make scheduling as easy as possible for everyone. If you have internet access, visit our website, www.NorlandRx.com, and click on “Schedule Appointment” at the top of the home page. Follow the prompts to schedule your appointment time. Once you have an appointment, follow the link shown to complete and submit your consent form online. If you missed the link after scheduling your appointment, don’t worry. You will receive another link to the consent form in an email that confirms your appointment time.
If you do not have internet access, or just don’t like the computer, please come visit us at the pharmacy. We will have you fill out the necessary consent form and schedule your appointment right in the store.
You will need your insurance information when filling out the consent form. If you have Medicare Part B, the information we need is the number off of your red, white, and blue Medicare Part B card. This is no longer your social security number. If the card you have still shows your social security number, you will need to call 1-800-MEDICARE to ask for your new number.
One more thing to keep in mind when scheduling your appointment: if you are getting the Pfizer vaccine, your second dose appointment will automatically be scheduled for three weeks (21 days) later, same day of the week, same time. If you are getting the Moderna vaccine, your second dose appointment will automatically be scheduled for four weeks later (28 days), same day of the week, same time. You will need to be available for both appointments to ensure you get both shots.
This schedule does mean that we will be giving second doses from April 12th through May 1st. We will have limited first dose appointments available on those days. Please keep that in mind when looking for an appointment.
On the day of your appointment, please arrive at the pharmacy no more than 10 minutes prior to your appointed time. We are administering three shots every five minutes, so it is important that we not have extra people in the pharmacy. We are doing our best to adhere to social distancing guidelines for your safety and the safety of our staff.
When you get here, please check in at the table in the hallway. One of our greeters will ensure that your consent form is complete and accurate prior to directing you to one of our vaccinators. If you forgot to fill out your consent form, you will be asked to fill out the form and provide it to one of our technicians in the store. The technician will then process the vaccination through our computer system and send you back to the greeters in the hallway. You will then be directed to one of our vaccinators for your shot.
Once you have been vaccinated, you will receive a vaccination card that will have documented what vaccine you received and when your second dose appointment is scheduled for. You will want to keep this card and bring it with you to your second dose appointment. You will then be asked to wait at the pharmacy for about 15 minutes to ensure you don’t have any negative reactions to the vaccine prior to leaving.
Our goal is to make this experience as easy and pleasurable as possible. If there’s anything we can do to assist you, please don’t hesitate to ask.
*These statements are culmination of the knowledge and experience of the team at Norland Pharmacy. The information provided here is for informational purposes only. Please consult your healthcare provider with questions concerning any medical condition or treatment. Compounded medications are not reviewed by the FDA for safety or efficacy. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration, and this product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.