ARLINGTON, Va. – The National Association of Chain Drug Stores and the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) will jointly host a webinar  focussing on the collaboration at the community level between public health departments and pharmacies to help ensure the efficient and equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccinations.

The webinar on February 25, titled: “COVID-19 Vaccination Stories from the Field: Local Health Department & Pharmacy Partnerships,” will also discuss the critical role  community pharmacies continue to play in the nation’s pandemic response and recovery efforts.

Guest speakers participating in the virtual event include:

• Angela Guo, MPH, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Christie R. Boutte, PharmD., RPh., Senior Vice President of State Strategic Affairs and Advocacy at the National Association of Chain Drug Stores (NACDS)

• Barbara Banks‐Wiggins, MSA, Executive Director, Prince George’s Healthcare Alliance, MD

• Alison Mendoza-Walters, MPH, MBA, Health Planner, Prince George’s County Department of Health

The registration link for the webinar can be found here.

“NACDS is proud to be working alongside NACCHO – a community-focused organization with a strong history of advancing public health preparedness and serving communities in times of crisis. The collaboration between highly trained and trusted pharmacists and community health leaders has powerful implications when it comes to closing the gap on vaccination administration — particularly in those communities in need. Pharmacies are uniquely positioned to get COVID-19 vaccinations into arms safely, efficiently and equitably. There is a pharmacy within five miles of 90 percent of Americans and pharmacies have the capacity to meet demand for 100 million vaccinations in 30 days if such supplies are available,” said NACDS president and CEO Steven Anderson. “Importantly, a morning consult survey commissioned by NACDS found that 66% of Black Americans and 72% of Hispanics trust pharmacists to provide COVID-19 vaccines. All of these are important points given the appropriate and necessary focus on building vaccine confidence and reaching all Americans equitably.”

“As chief community health strategists, local health departments are not just locations to receive COVID-19 vaccines, but they bring together community partners to ensure a coordinated, all-of-community approach to achieve the shared goals of an efficient and equitable vaccine rollout. Pharmacies are an important partner to this work. This webinar will help highlight best practices to ensure a strong working relationship across our two sectors,” said NACCHO CEO Lori Tremmel Freeman.