Touro College of Pharmacy Jabs Land A Healthy Punch

TCOP TAKES THE LEAD IN COMMUNITYWIDE TESTING AND VACCINATION EFFORT

It was barely 11 a.m. on a winter morning, and already more than 30 people had found their way to Touro College of Pharmacy in Harlem. The school had that day launched a COVID-19 vaccine clinic, transforming its fourth-floor cafeteria into an immunization site. “We are booked solid,” said Assistant Dean Dr. Michael Liu. “At least 100 are signed up, and already we have a wait list. Everything is going really well.”

In more ways than one. Those who came to the clinic received their first dose of the Moderna vaccine and a follow-up appointment. Equally satisfying for Liu and other faculty and staff members was that Touro’s student pharmacists were getting real-life lessons to complement their academic studies. The students, faculty and staff all had volunteered to work staggered shifts at the clinic to make certain everyone was cared for.

The volunteers led patients through intake and counseled them. They prepared doses, administered and registered the vaccinations with New York City’s health department, and monitored for allergic reactions. Medication was scarce, so initially “patients” were limited to the pharmacy school and Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, but the hope was that care could be expanded to other Touro schools if supplies increased.

“It feels great to be a part of this,” said fourthyear student pharmacist Sheril Alexander, as she greeted patients getting off the elevator and steered them to registration. “Soon we will be in the field and we’re learning a lot. It’s a good opportunity to show our expertise.”

COVID-19 TESTING The pharmacy team’s pandemic work did not begin with the vaccine clinic. Beginning in fall 2020 and through the following spring, they offered COVID-19 testing, when Touro College and University System launched a mandatory screening program at a dozen of its New York schools to help ensure its campus communities were COVID-19-free.

By late February, some 3,600 asymptomatic students and employees had been screened through Touro’s “Proactive Surveillance Testing for COVID-19 of Asymptomatic Individuals” program with saliva samples or nasal swabs. The overall positivity rate was a mere 0.02 percent.

“Part of our mission is to provide wellness and healthcare to our Touro community and beyond,” noted Dr. Henry Cohen, dean. “Our role here is intricate and critical.”

It can also save lives. Dr. Mary Ellen Dean, assistant professor of medicine at TouroCOM Middletown, lauded Touro’s efforts after receiving her first shot at the clinic. “As healthcare providers as well as teachers of future caregivers, I feel [immunization] is our responsibility. It sets an example that we believe in this medicine and think it’s safe and effective—and that we believe in science.”

MULTI-PRONGED EFFORT In what has been described as the worst pandemic in over 100 years, TCOP was able to marshal its knowledge and expertise to serve the Touro community with vaccinations and surveillance monitoring to keep the Touro community safe, and foster learning that would enable pharmacy faculty, students and alumni to serve others in their professional capacities In addition to the clinic, the school offered an immunization certification course for pharmacists and alumni who took advantage of the opportunity to refresh their skills. Current students on rotations rounded with doctors and applied their TCOP immunization training in a real-world setting. The school’s Drug Information Service prepared and distributed fact sheets in local communities on COVID-19 safety and vaccine basics.

“It was an amazing experience that made me realize how valuable our roles as future pharmacists are during this pandemic,” said Dana Darwish, P4, who was part of a new advanced pharmacy practice rotation at Mt. Sinai Hospital, where she learned to prepare vaccines, counsel patients and assist nurses with immunizations.

Alumnus Vitaliy Didik signed up for the immunization certification course offered with the American Pharmacists Association. Now the co-owner of a pharmacy in Brooklyn, Didik said he wanted to refresh the knowledge and skills he acquired when he was a student. “I am planning to implement an immunization program to better serve our community, which will include the COVID-19 vaccine,” he said.

Come what may, TCOP was ready for the challenges ahead. “Leveraging our own strengths makes it easier than calling in a pharmacist or sending people to a vaccine immunization facility,” said Dean Cohen. “We can test and vaccinate safely and appropriately and at lower cost. No one has to wait long, and we bring the tests and vaccines to patients. It doesn’t get more convenient.”