VANCOUVER -- Finding protective equipment such as masks and eye protection is still a big challenge for B.C. pharmacies operating during the pandemic, and now they’re also being cautioned about avoiding possible scammers who could try and take advantage of the situation.
The BC Pharmacy Association’s director of pharmacy practice support and special projects Bryce Wong told CTV News Vancouver they are now working to screen potential providers and compile a list of reputable sources of available safety gear, which remains in short supply.
"We have heard from members who have been asked to put down pretty significant deposits to purchase some PPE (personal protective equipment) and we’ve heard from others who haven’t received what they ordered a month ago," Wong said, and gave an example where a pharmacy was ready to buy a large amount of equipment and distribute it to others, when the association looked at the company’s credentials and "none of them checked out."
Wong said finding PPE has been especially challenging for smaller, independent pharmacies.
"They’re having challenges in identifying or finding those alternative providers who actually have supply on hand, and are who they say they are," he said.
Delta Prescription Clinic pharmacy manager Michael Millman said finding protective equipment for his staff has been "extremely challenging."
"Masks in particular are impossible. We’ve had to use those sometimes up to a week," Millman said. "We still cannot get adequate access to masks at a reasonable price."
He said they’ve also had to reuse compounding gowns.
"Those have been limited to the point where we’re using them up to three, four, five days or until there’s a hole in them and we have to change them," Millman said. "There has not been a lot of support in helping what I think pharmacists as front-liners in getting enough PPE protection."
Pharmacies have been deemed essential during the pandemic. Millman said they are also putting themselves at risk.
"I feel sometimes we might be relegated to, or looked at as a retail sector, but we are very much part of the whole health care team," Millman said.
The BC Pharmacy Association has previously asked the province for pharmacies to be on the priority list for PPE allocation when it becomes more widely available. Wong said they have been working with the government on a plan for distribution.
"There are activities pharmacies are engaged in where social distancing is a challenge," Wong said. "There’s pharmacies that go out and they provide treatment to patients where they are, including opioid agonist treatment for patients with opioid use disorder."
Wong said they also have to look ahead to when a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available.
"Pharmacists are one of the key providers of immunizations in the province, and so obviously you can’t maintain social distancing when you’re giving an immunization," Wong said.
Premier John Horgan called pharmacies a "high point" and said the health ministry will be working to divide and allocate PPE resources "in the best interest of delivering health services to British Columbians."
"We are going to continue to manage that resource prudently until we have such a surplus that we’ll be able to spread it more equitably across the broader economy," Horgan said, and added there are companies in B.C. and across the country that are shifting their manufacturing to produce safety equipment for those who need it.
The BC Pharmacy Association is also working to organize a bulk purchase of face shields that they will then distribute to pharmacies. In a recent update for members on their website, the association noted vendors often require a minimum purchase amount, and "most pharmacies have a small number of staff members and do not require a large number of masks."
The association said they will also be listing suppliers on their site who have stock available and can ship within a short amount of time. They cautioned they have been "notified by several members that they have been contacted by suspected scammers" and added "it is important to remember to exercise due diligence when interacting with any alternative supplier."
The BC Centre for Disease Control has also said pharmacists and their staff who have direct contact with the public and are unable to maintain a safe distance “must use appropriate personal protective equipment: surgical or procedural mask, eye protection, gloves.”
Millman said his pharmacy is taking other precautions as well, including a plastic barrier and spacing requirements.
“Pharmacists are, number one, doing their best,” he said. “We care about our patients.”
