Pandemic shapes community pharmacy residency learning environment.

Abstract

Lauren T. Le The COVID-19 pandemic brought about an unusual learning experience for Lauren T. Le, outgoing chief resident at the H-E-B Pharmacy–University of Texas at Austin community pharmacy residency program. “It’s been difficult but . . . rewarding,” Le said of the past year. “I’m very, very happy with my decision to do the residency.” The pandemic was in full swing when Le started her residency last summer, and she expected COVID-19 to shape the year’s activities. But she and her colleagues were surprised at the pace of vaccine development and the resultant need to quickly roll out a robust vaccination campaign. “We immunized upwards of 1,000 people per day,” Le recalled. “They even had us travel to surrounding areas like Waco and San Antonio to help with vaccination efforts.” Le said the biggest problem for her home-store pharmacy team was establishing a workflow for COVID-19 vaccination while managing normal pharmacy operations.