DES MOINES, Iowa — Now that everyone, 16 years old and up, is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine, many are using multiple resources to find a vaccine appointment. But Medicap Pharmacy wants to remind you not to schedule more than one appointment for the vaccine.
When you receive a confirmation for a scheduled date and time, you are now linked to a vaccine dose that is assigned to you.
“When they hit submit and they have a day and a time that means that we are counting on you taking that dose, and if you make multiple appointments at multiple sites then there's multiple people who have tied a dose to you," said Cheri Schmidt, Director of Clinical Pharmacy at Medicap. "So then you have to either cancel one of those appointments, or people no-show and then when that happens, especially last minute, then we have to quickly scramble to try and find an arm to put that dose in."
By scheduling more than one appointment you could be taking an opportunity away from someone else, because those doses have to be used once they are opened.
“We refuse to waste any doses. We don't want to waste any of them cause it's like liquid gold,” Schmidt said.
Schmidt also said this is a very busy time but also one of the most rewarding experiences she has ever been a part of as a pharmacist.
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