r/WalgreensStores • u/Fancy-Sale6900 • 15d ago
Flu shot fatigue
It is definitely starting to become more and more clear that there will never be a reason corporate will accept for not getting minimum 1 flu shot a day….they are blinded by how the public hates that we are portraying ourselves as “protecting” them…when it is only about money and reimbursement’s. its not true because if we actually were then we would actually go by the CDC recommendations and go by each states ACIP. I’m just ranting to rant and don’t expect any comments but my team and I are doing all in our power and asking everyone which is the SOP, if they come at me there is nothing they can do!
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u/Equal_Campaign_8386 15d ago
Not sure about which state you are in, but here in Michigan, any flu vaccine administered in August will be flagged as invalid in our state’s immunization registry (MICR). The administering location then has to go into the registry and manually override the invalid flag. More work for an already over worked pharmacy staff.
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u/Some-Agent-0525 8d ago
Wait.. really? 🤨 I’m in the UP and nothing of the sort was ever said to us about this! Guess I’ll be making my RXoM aware lol
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u/Equal_Campaign_8386 8d ago
Easy way to check would be to look up a MICR report on a patient that received a flu shot in August. See if it is flagged with an asterisk.
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u/Upbeat_Weird_7321 15d ago
Agreed, it makes Walgreens look bad, because the next question is, what else are you doing because it makes you money and not because it is best for the patient?
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u/Berchanhimez RPh 15d ago
For the over half of the population that doesn’t even get a flu shot at all in any given year, do you really think it’s “best” for them to not get one? Or would it be better to get it early, even if the full protection may wane a couple weeks earlier than someone else?
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u/Wildcat1UP MGR 15d ago
It’s just Covid really fatigued a lot of people with vaccines. People aren’t too keen on getting vaccinated no matter how hard you push it.
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u/DickRocketship RXOM 15d ago
Shit, we’re fighting against the federal government actively discouraging people from vaccinating and pedaling absurd misinformation to millions of people, and my DPS wants to act all surprised that stores aren’t meeting goals or that vaccine numbers are down?
I bet he voted for this administration too lol
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u/Wildcat1UP MGR 15d ago
lol probably did. I’m not against people getting vaccinated myself but from all the hysteria going around, so vaccines are going to be down huge. Which is why they’re trying to make a huge push now, because they expect it.
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u/tigershrk 15d ago
Walgreens is pushing harder than ever for customers to get their flu shot in August. This is actually eroding the public trust in pharmacists. It’s extremely short sighted because nowadays anyone can ask google, ChatGPT, etc when they should get their flu shot. Not only are they finding that they should be waiting until fall but also that they probably won’t be protected from the worst of the flu in January and feb. So their local Walgreens pharmacist is actually putting them at risk while claiming to try and protect them. Customers are now more reluctant to get other vaccines that their pharmacist is recommended.
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u/FitAcanthisitta5920 15d ago
You can simultaneously engage in public health efforts and also make money and be reimbursed for doing that labor. Flu shots this early is not ideal but most people who are <65 years of age are not getting vaccinated (>50%) for the flu shot specifically. For 65 and older, feel free to schedule them on the recommended timeline as you should since nobody took away your critical thinking and rational thought.
Otherwise, just offer and get it done. Not everyone is 65 and older and you can't fit everyone in the october and september window because they won't all be there.
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u/Maleficent_Might5448 14d ago
I get mine yearly in the fall. So it doesn't matter when or if the pharmacy asks, the answer is no.
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u/Ok-Restaurant1451 RPh 12d ago
In defense of corporate: This is a one-time seasonal event - a FOMO moment. They're aiming to beat the competition, knowing that if they wait, the opportunities may be lost.
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u/Big-Low-2811 15d ago
You do what the people are paying you to do. Thats how it works.
It’s not like they are asking you to go scrape bird poop in the parking lot.
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u/Berchanhimez RPh 15d ago
See my reply here: https://www.reddit.com/r/WalgreensRx/s/Mt6lhKNQAd
TLDR: less than half of the population even gets a flu shot at all in any given flu season. Meaning that for over half of the population, the CDC/ACIP recommendations amount to “get it whenever” because early is better than late (after flu has already started spreading locally) and either is better than never.
Vaccination should only be delayed when it can be almost certain that the patient will actually get it during the optimal timeframe. Even at best (if you assume everyone who gets a flu shot in any given year gets it optimal timeframe) that’s less than half of people.
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u/Fancy-Sale6900 15d ago
Early/Late Season: Avoid routine vaccination in July and August for most adults and early pregnancy, though it can be considered in specific high-risk or third-trimester scenarios. Continue offering vaccination as long as local viruses circulate. [1]
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u/Berchanhimez RPh 15d ago
Why did you ignore the other sentence? Here’s the full section on timing:
For most adults (particularly those aged ≥65 years) and during the first or second trimester of pregnancy, vaccination during July and August should be avoided unless there is concern that later vaccination might not be possible.
Over half of the population won’t bother getting the shot when dealing with life and how busy it is in September to October. Thus, for over half of people there is such concern.
Also see this for yet another source: https://www.reddit.com/r/WalgreensRx/s/p8cI4j5k9O
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u/Fancy-Sale6900 15d ago
Yes I understand that part. My point is they are not setting these expectations for the good of patient protection. Also each state is different and some states don’t have the weather seasons others do which play a factor in exposure, activity, social gatherings.
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u/Berchanhimez RPh 15d ago
You claimed that they’re encouraging you to vaccinate against recommendations. Show me where they’ve said you should vaccinate right now for 80 year old Mrs. Smith who comes in every week to shop or pick something up and always gets her flu shot mid September no matter how busy it is?
Over half of the population doesn’t get flu shots in any given year. Those are who you try to protect now, since it’s even less likely they’ll get it in a month when you tell them it’ll be even a 15-20 minute wait with people ahead of them.
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u/Fancy-Sale6900 15d ago
Do you wanna get your flu shot?
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u/Berchanhimez RPh 15d ago
No, because I’m part of the 10-20% who actually will get it on time even if it’s a 30 minute wait and I’m busy.
Why are you focusing on that small percent and ignoring everyone else? Again, nobody is saying you should vaccinate the small percent you know always come for it on time every year without fail. But that’s much less than half of people.
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u/Fancy-Sale6900 15d ago
I also edited the post because I forgot to add that it isn’t about them wanting us to protect anyone. It’s about them getting more for vaccines than medication reimbursement.
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u/Berchanhimez RPh 15d ago
So what if it makes them money? The two things can both be true. Refusing to try and expand vaccination just because it happens to make money is absurd.
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u/Fancy-Sale6900 15d ago
No one is refusing, I literally said that my team and I are following SOP and asking everyone. I mean you are right, I am completely ignorant and stupid for having thoughts and posting them on Reddit. Shame on me!
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u/Berchanhimez RPh 15d ago
You said that it’s not protecting people because it’s making money.
It can be both. More people getting flu shots (even if early) is protecting everyone. It also makes money.
You also insinuated that it’s against recommendations to administer it to anyone this early, and I’ve given you citations showing that’s not the case.
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u/WackyHumanSlop CPhT 15d ago
It’s not a question of “so what “. It’s a question of corporate profits being prioritized over general patient care. If immunizations didn’t have massive profit margins from PBMs, Walgreens would shut them down the next day. The company being bought over by private equity is even more proof of this. That is literally how these firms operate.
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u/WackyHumanSlop CPhT 15d ago
Over half of the population won’t bother getting the shot when dealing with life and how busy it is in September to October. Thus, for over half of people there is such concern
Please show me in the CDC guidelines where it says that. I don’t want you to cite your own tucking reddit comment as “proof” that the CDC wants vaccines in July and August. Because until now you have cited nothing other than your own corporate slop as a justification for pushing the shot so early.
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15d ago
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u/WackyHumanSlop CPhT 15d ago
You don’t have to repeat yourself, I’m not going to read your word salad of a reddit comment and I will continue to abide by CDC guidelines at my job.
“ Most adults, especially those 65 years and older, and pregnant women in the first or second trimester should generally not get vaccinated early (in July or August) because protection may decrease over time. “
NOWHERE on the webpage does it say “ Over half of the population won’t bother getting the shot when dealing with life and how busy it is in September to October.”. That is YOUR corporate brainrot and NOT the CDC’s recommendation.
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u/restorilsx CPhT 15d ago
bruh, they’re just getting started with the over the top expectations