The Federal Retail Pharmacy Program (FRPP) Impact on COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution During Pandemic: Effectiveness, Limitations, and Implications

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has altered the healthcare landscape for pharmacy practice and continues its global onslaught. As the COVID-19 vaccines began to reach the general population, many were left wondering where and when they would get the vaccine. With 90% of the American population living within 5 miles of a community pharmacy, vaccine distribution to these locations is vital for a successful vaccine campaign. The Biden Administration launched the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program (FRPP) in February 2021, a public-private partnership with 21 national pharmacy partners representing over 40,000 pharmacy locations to help expand the vaccine rollout. Community pharmacists are uniquely positioned to fulfill this mission by being a point of contact for the COVID-19 vaccination efforts. The FRPP has experienced some limitations, including the variable vaccine allocation, limited support from the healthcare system, and the lack of overwhelming public confidence in the vaccines. Improving the FRPP would require strong partnership with other healthcare professionals and the adoption of flexible vaccine dissemination. These can stem future pandemics.

Keywords

• Federal Retail Pharmacy Program (FRPP), COVID-19, Community Pharmacies, Partnerships, Vaccines, Pharmacists