Glasgow pharmacy reflects on frontline work through the pandemic

DATE: August 25, 2021

By Kelly Dean

GLASGOW, Ky. (WBKO) – Governor Andy Beshear declared this week in Kentucky as Health Care Hero Appreciation Week.

The purpose is to celebrate nurses, doctors, nurses and hospital/clinic staff who have worked round-the-clock to treat patients during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Kentucky’s pharmacies have also played a special role in the pandemic by offer COVID testing and vaccines.

“Working through the pandemic has definitely had its ups and downs,” said Will Andersen, Pharmacy Director at PharMerica. “It’s great that we’re able to help the nursing facilities that we serve. We do provide the COVID vaccine now as well as treatments. And then there’s also been struggles with, you know, staffing recently with the most recent COVID surge.”

Throughout the past eighteen months, Glasgow pharmacy, PharMerica, has provided care to long-term care residents with medicine deliveries and has administered Covid vaccines. The Pharmacy Director recalls the moment when he and his staff had the opportunity to administer the Covid-19 vaccine for the first time.

“It was, you know, sort of monumental to be able to be a part of that vaccine rollout, and to help the elders get that vaccine which dramatically reduced the COVID in the nursing facilities that were hit so hard last year,” said Andersen.

Andersen adds the vaccines became available, they noticed a drastic difference within the nursing homes once vaccines were administered and visitation opened back up.

“A huge difference I’ve noticed recently when I’ve been in facilities is just, you know, seeing the elders, you know, out and about, and to be able to spend time with each other and, and seeing those families able to visit,” said Andersen.

The pharmacy serves 16 different nursing homes sort of across southern Kentucky.

“My staff has shown up every day throughout this pandemic. They’re the reasons that we’re able to serve the elders that we serve and to the staff at the nursing facilities as well because I know that that has been a struggle and they have been there day in and day out,” said Andersen.

This article first appeared on WBKO. You can read the original here.