Mona Sabharwal
Senior Vice President, Pharmacy Services, Rexall
Many Canadians have questions and concerns about the vaccine and where to get theirs, and one pharmacy chain has the answers.
With the COVID-19 vaccine rollout well underway at participating pharmacies across Canada, anticipation is rising. Many see vaccination as one of the ways to help end this pandemic, and the eagerness amongst Canadians to get vaccinated is high.
Already millions of Canadians have received at least one dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine and hundreds of thousands are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, having received both required doses. Millions of others are patiently waiting their turn to get vaccinated.
Most Canadians understand the importance of getting vaccinated to help build herd immunity within our population. Many others have questions about the different vaccines’ safety and efficacy. With an overflow of conflicting information from various sources proliferating online and in the media, many Canadians are unsure of where to turn for trustworthy and evidence-based answers to their vaccine questions.
Your trusted advisor in health care is always close to home
Ensuring that Canadians have convenient access to trusted health professionals is vital to the health of our population, and pharmacies play a large role in this. When in-person access to health care professionals became restricted at the onset of the pandemic due to public safety concerns, pharmacies remained open as an essential service, with strong safety protocols put in place. Most importantly, pharmacists are professional and well-trained health care practitioners who can act as trusted advisors to patients about all types of health concerns, offering practical advice and ensuring that patients receive the medication they require, along with other vital services and tools.
With a history dating back for well over a century, Rexall is one of the pharmacies that Canadians know and trust. It’s dedicated to caring for the health of Canadians, one patient at a time, and is proud of its personalized approach to care.
It’s also one of the pharmacies safely administering COVID-19 vaccines to eligible patients as quickly as possible, based upon vaccine availability.
Getting the COVID-19 vaccine just got more convenient
Rexall is an industry leader in patient health care and has been a vital resource for Canadians during this pandemic. “Throughout COVID, we’ve been fielding lots of questions about how to keep Canadians safe, and we’ve been stepping up to meet the needs of our patients and community,” says Mona Sabharwal, Senior Vice President, Pharmacy Services, Rexall. “We’ve been involved with asymptomatic COVID testing and now, our pharmacists have enthusiastically embraced the administration of COVID vaccines at hundreds of Rexall pharmacies across the country, which we think is an important tool to help get us back to some semblance of normalcy.”
Throughout COVID, we’ve been fielding lots of questions about how to keep Canadians safe, and we’ve been stepping up to meet the needs of our patients and community.
Rexall pharmacists have undergone extensive training about the different approved vaccines and have the skills and knowledge to support the rollout. They’re also there to answer any questions patients may have about the vaccines.
To manage the vaccinations at its pharmacies, Rexall has implemented an appointment-based booking platform, which one can access by logging on to rexall.ca. “Our booking tool allows patients to complete all the required administrative paperwork in the safety of their home prior to their appointment,” says Sabharwal. By completing the administrative steps in advance, we ensure the in-person vaccination process takes as little time as possible. We’ve found that a lot of Canadians are really responding to this approach. “The appointments allow people to have a set time and date to receive their vaccination and for us to control crowds and keep people safe.”
Creating an efficient and safe approach for appointment scheduling
“We’ve partnered with MedMe Health to create our virtual booking system,” says Sabharwal. “This technology helps support our objective of delivering a personalized customer experience.” In addition to ensuring safe physical distancing, booking appointments — rather than allowing walk-ins with their ensuing line-ups — gives the pharmacy the ability to stay in touch with people for second dose follow-ups and appointment reminders, ensuring a seamless experience and reducing barriers to Canadians receiving their vaccines. People can join a virtual waiting list and will be invited to book an appointment when their information matches the eligibility criteria set out by the government.
It’s all about simplifying health care and reducing barriers
“For us, it’s all about providing personalized care,” says Sabharwal. “Health and wellness can sometimes be very complex, and our pharmacists are a great resource in helping to simplify our patients’ lives and keeping them safe and healthy.”
In addition to COVID-19 vaccines, Rexall’s pharmacists also administer many other vaccines safely and efficiently, including those that help prevent the flu, shingles, and pneumonia.
All Rexall pharmacists take part in a certification process that includes injection training, live workshops, first aid, and CPR training.
