Retail pharmacies expand role in vaccine distribution

Lisa Dettling, director of health enhancement with Saint Mary's, once again expects the regional medical center's team to immunize at least 15,000 people against the seasonal influenza this year.

But the numbers are more difficult to predict as the availability of vaccinations becomes more widespread.

"You can get a flu shot almost anywhere," Dettling says. "I've never seen anything like this."

The big change this year: Along with traditional big events such as Saturday's Rotary Family Flu Shot Day, which delivered drive-through flu shots to 2,500 people at a University of Nevada, Reno, parking garage, and smaller clinics at worksites and shopping malls, retail pharmacies are getting into the flu shot business in a big way.

Walmart stores provide flu shots in their pharmacy departments to consumers who are on their way to pick up a gallon of milk. CVS offers shoppers a 10 percent discount on the purchases they make after they get a flu shot at one of the approximately 20 CVS stores in the region.

For the big national pharmacy chains such as Walgreen's and CVS, a key roadblock was removed last year when Maine became the 50th state to allow pharmacists to deliver immunizations.

"Pharmacies are convenient and accessible health-care providers," says Chrissy Kopple, a spokeswoman for the National Association of Chain Drug Stores.

Walgreen's offers flu shots to walk-in customers at its pharmacies in northern Nevada, although it encourages them to go online to fill out the paperwork before they head down to the drug store.

CVS, which in past years offered clinics operated by third-party health providers in its 7,100 stores nationwide, this year is offering a full schedule of immunizations, both to walk-in patients as well as those who make appointments, at stores across the nation, says company spokesman Mike DeAngelis.

The company doesn't disclose its financial projections for its delivery of flu shots.

"We're a health-care provider. We want to do our part," says DeAngelis.

Nonprofit health organizations don't have a good handle on how much the availability of flu shots in pharmacies will cut into their own traffic.

"I'm paying attention, but I don't think it is competitive yet," says Lori Mitchell, a registered nurse who serves as manager of health management services for Renown Health.

Renown hasn't changed its schedule of more than 25 public flu-shot clinics this year and expects to deliver flu shots to approximately the same number of people as last year about 20,000 vaccinations.

Mitchell says residents of the Reno-Sparks region are accustomed to Renown's schedule of shots last week's Senior Flu Shot Day at Reno Town Mall, for instance, once again drew big crowds and Renown's strong brand reputation in the region keeps them coming back.

The wider availability of flu shots in retail locations may help take up some of the slack as financially pressed employers have eliminated or reduced health coverage that previously included an annual flu shots.

Dettling says Saint Mary's staff members are talking to many of those employers, encouraging them pick up the cost of a flu shot and schedule a clinic in their office or on their shop floor even if they can't pay for full health coverage.

"Most employers are excited to have workplace shots," she says.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend a flu shot for everyone 6 months old or older. This year's immunization will protect against seasonal influenza as well as the H1NI virus that spread last winter.