Mission Drug offering COVID-19 vaccine as part of pilot program
Phil Gribble of St. Ignatius steps in for his first Moderna vaccination by Cory Adams, owner of Mission Drug, one of 14 independent pharmacies in Montana with vaccines available. (Carolyn Hidy/Lake County Leader)
It is not a sight we are accustomed to seeing: people eager to get a shot in the arm.
“There are a lot of people that are very excited,” said Cory Adams, owner of Mission Drug inside Rod’s Harvest Foods in St. Ignatius.
Mission Drug is one of just over 6,000 independent pharmacies in the nation, including 14 in Montana, selected to take part in a federal pilot program to administer COVID-19 vaccines this month.
The pharmacy is calling customers in their system who meet priority criteria, mainly those ages 61 and older, and scheduling them to receive the inoculation. Word of mouth is getting around, Adams said, and he placed a notice of vaccine availability on Rod’s reader board, so patients are also starting to call in.
With 10 doses per bottle, not all slots are able to be filled by priority patients every time a bottle is open.
“If we have extra doses, or spots not filled by those fitting the criteria, we are allowed to bring in any patient so we don’t waste vaccine,” Adams said. Locals can fill out an intake form at Mission Drug, and several have been called in when there is an opening.
“When someone cancels at the last minute we just bring in any employee of Rod’s who is available and wants to get it,” Adams said.
He said he put in a full day last Wednesday, vaccinating 30 people, and 20 the Wednesday before. The other pharmacists are giving a total of 10 per day on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
Mission Drug will schedule vaccinations through March 26. Then there will be four weeks when those who received the first dose are scheduled to return for the second, final dose. They will reopen for new patients the week of April 26.
Call Mission Drug at 745-3000 for additional information, or stop in to fill out an intake form.
Other Lake County sites offering COVID-19 vaccines include Walgreens and Walmart in Polson (priority categories only), and CSKT Tribal Health (all tribal members and Tribal Health employees).
So far three vaccines are available in the U.S. Different sites may offer any of the three at different times, depending on availability. Moderna and Pfizer vaccines require returning a few weeks later for a second dose; the Johnson & Johnson version only requires one dose. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are approved for those age 18 and older. Pfizer is approved for those age 16 and older.