Good Neighbor Pharmacy Launches COVID-19 Vaccines Locator Tool

Today, Good Neighbor Pharmacy, AmerisourceBergen’s network of independent community pharmacies, launched a COVID-19 Vaccines Pharmacy Locator Tool on MyGNP.com, a web-based platform designed to conveniently connect individuals with their local community pharmacy to receive COVID-19 vaccines. The tool becomes available as Good Neighbor Pharmacy surpasses 1 million doses allocated through its Federal Retail Pharmacy Program partnership to independent pharmacies nationwide.

With all adults and a portion of adolescents now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, independent pharmacies are in a unique position to take pressure off of health systems and physicians by administering to their region. The COVID-19 Vaccines Pharmacy Locator Tool is aimed at promoting equitable vaccine access for all patients, particularly those in under-resourced communities, as the national inoculation movement continues across the country. Upon accessing the tool via the MyGNP.com COVID-19 landing page, users can enter their zip code and receive details on the community pharmacies in their area that are offering appointments for COVID-19 vaccines.

“We’re seeing massive progress in the distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccines – and we are so proud to have reached 1,000,000 vaccines allocated to independent pharmacies through our program! However, we know there are still gaps in access for many under-resourced communities throughout the country,” said Brian Nightengale, President of Good Neighbor Pharmacy. “Independent community pharmacies are a convenient and trusted healthcare destination, and they’ve continued to go above and beyond for patients during the pandemic. We hope this tool enables patients to connect with our fearless pharmacies so we can get more shots in arms as quickly as possible.”

In early February, Good Neighbor Pharmacy quickly activated its support for the national vaccination effort as part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program and grew that support exponentially in the subsequent weeks. During week one, over 10,000 doses were allocated to 102 pharmacies across four states. Now, AmerisourceBergen and Good Neighbor Pharmacy are serving more than 1,000 pharmacies in 46 states, Puerto Rico and Guam.

“We are incredibly proud of the tremendous growth in our program over the last couple of months as part of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program,” said Jenni Zilka, Senior Vice President of Good Neighbor Pharmacy Field Programs and Services. “We have now activated more than 1,000 independent pharmacies across the U.S. and continue to see the tangible impact that independent community pharmacies are having on this national vaccination movement. The stories from the field are absolutely incredible.”

Notable stories from Good Neighbor Pharmacies in the field include:

• Clinical pharmacist and owner of Springfield Pharmacy, Dr. Chichi Ilonzo Momah not only vaccinated pharmacy customers, but has visited homebound patients, hosted clinics in low-income areas throughout her county, addressed vaccine hesitancy at local churches and held mass vaccine clinics at local high schools almost every other day. Chichi has provided more than 10,000 vaccines to patients in her county.
• Abby and Chase Rice, owners of Good Neighbor Pharmacies Moffet Drug and Ward Drug in rural Kansas, shared COVID-19 vaccines with a local non-profit to help vaccinate homeless and uninsured communities in the Kansas City metro area. Through this effort, the Rice’s joined pop-up clinics at local churches in underserved areas of Kansas City and drove a mobile clinic around the metro area to reach homeless individuals with vaccines.
• Jasmine Chan, pharmacist at CAPrx in Pacific Grove, CA, focused on the pharmacy waitlist and reaching people in the surrounding communities with barriers in scheduling appointments. The pharmacy partnered with local organizations to operate mobile vaccine clinics to vaccinate 1,300 patients. By the end of April 2021, CAPrx administered vaccines at domestic violence shelters, local public schools, homeless encampments, and the homes of homebound seniors.
• Apothecary Shoppe in Salt Lake City, UT has spent the last 30 years building a robust clinical services program to support community members with HIV. Owner Kevin DeMass knew that the COVID-19 vaccines were important for his 3,700 immunocompromised patients. Apothecary Shoppe partnered with the local organizations to provide education and communication that the COVID-19 vaccine was available at his store and the Apothecary Shoppe is now routinely hosting clinics to support vulnerable patients living with HIV and AIDS.

For more information and to access the COVID-19 Vaccine Pharmacy Locator Tool, please visit https://www.mygnp.com/covid-19/. To read more about how independent pharmacies across the nation are stepping up in their communities, check out Good Neighbor Pharmacy’s Fearless Pharmacy page: https://www.wearegnp.com/fearless-pharmacy.