Balancing the solemn with the uplifting

Abstract

On April 1, our colleagues in Spain observed a minute of silence in tribute to five pharmacists who died while caring for their patients in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) encouraged others across the globe to participate in solidarity with the brave pharmacists and pharmacy team members we lost in Spain, as well as in Italy and China. We are not alone in the world. Pharmacists and pharmacy personnel have stepped up. We will look back on and build our future upon their stories of heroic service. APhA, our fellow pharmacy associations, and the community itself have called out for the protection, appreciation, and recognition that pharmacy staff have duly earned. As I write this, things are changing: We called on CDC to protect frontline pharmacists and issue pharmacy-specific guidance. CDC’s guidance recommended the use of masks and other protective measures, and advised under what circumstances pharmacists should continue providing immunizations. We asked for greater latitude for pharmacists with COVID-19 testing. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued guidance to authorize licensed pharmacists to order and administer FDA-approved COVID-19 tests, including serology tests. This is progress! Information and noise fill social media. APhA staff quickly shifted toward providing trustworthy and practical information to support your needs as frontline providers. Our COVID-19 educational programming and website at pharmacist.com/coronavirus is regularly updated with new guidance and content. We pivoted from live to virtual with the launch of APhA2020V, which took more than 2,000 staff hours to produce and has launched at pharmacist.com/apha2020update. As we navigate new frontiers, there exists a need for guidance and regulations to overcome barriers. We’re leading a pharmacy coalition to advocate on behalf of the profession and to gain clarity from FDA and CMS on pharmacist testing. I encourage you to turn to APhA for resources that will help you keep up with the best and late-breaking developments on testing, COVID-19 treatment, protecting your staff, changes in state scopes of practice, fraudulent products, pharmacy innovation, and managing suspected cases of the virus—it’s all on pharmacist.com/coronavirus. APhA couldn’t be more proud and impressed by what all of you have done in the face of fear and danger. We hope our work to keep you informed and connected meets your needs! Please take care of yourselves, stay safe, and THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO EVERY DAY!