The mayor of Villalba and new president of the Association of Mayors of Puerto Rico, Luis Javier Hernández, called on the Secretary of Health, Dr. Lorenzo González and the Assistant General of the National Guard of Puerto Rico, General Reyes, for community pharmacies to be integrated into the process of mass vaccination against Covid-19, a cooperation initiative that has not yet been carried out .
“In an effort to contribute to the process, I held several telephone meetings and confirmed the availability for community pharmacies and members of the College of Pharmacists to be part of the vaccination process. Given that the health goal is vaccinating as many citizens as possible, with community pharmacies we have a perfect vehicle for this. There is one or more in every town in Puerto Rico, “said the lawyer.
Hernández further argued that staff working in community pharmacies know the needs of the neighborhoods they serve and can contribute particularly in helping bedridden people or mobility problems. “We see positively that Health and the National Guard have made agreements with multinational pharmacy chains, but we understand that given the need to vaccinate as many people as possible, we need to have community pharmacies to expand the field of action. That is our recommendation. “
Similarly, staff working in these facilities should have priority in the vaccination process. “It is health, pharmaceutical, logistical support and direct care staff for people with special health conditions and treatments and should also be vaccinated as soon as possible,” the mayor added. The Community Pharmacy Association is a non-profit organization, dating back to 1952, and there are currently about 800 such pharmacies throughout Puerto Rico.