Sand Run Pharmacy Wins APhA Award for Vaccination Services

02/25/20

Categories: Alumni Pride, College Update, Preceptor Pride

A HUGE congratulations to Sand Run Pharmacy in Akron, Ohio, for winning an award from the American Pharmacists Association for their vaccination services! The pharmacists at Sand Run serve as preceptors for our students, and we have an alumna, Caitlin Morgan (’16), PharmD, RPh, working on the team! Read more about Sand Run below:

Sand Run Pharmacy, an independent pharmacy owned by Tom and Meg Lamb, has become one of the top immunizers in Akron, Ohio. This has resulted from countless efforts to engage with the community, increasing accessibility to needed vaccinations. Since starting its immunization program in 2001, over 100,000 vaccines have been given to patients. Outreach areas have included local schools and businesses, senior luncheons, and various public health events. Influenza vaccinations have been administered by pharmacists at Sand Run Pharmacy at unique places like the zoo, art museums, in churches, and in machine shops. Sand Run Pharmacy truly embodies the “immunization neighborhood” concept.

Other areas of focus for Sand Run Pharmacy include providing recommended travel vaccinations and providing necessary vaccines to immigrants and international students living in the area. This endeavor has allowed Sand Run Pharmacy to cross cultural boundaries and unite the community.

Helping other independent pharmacies in their immunization efforts is another passion of Sand Run Pharmacy staff. The staff provide education on how to start a program, how to resolve billing issues, and key marketing tactics that may work to increase community engagement. The pharmacists at Sand Run Pharmacy also serve as preceptors for PharmD candidates, giving them firsthand vaccination experience and exposing them to uncommon vaccinations and varied dosage forms.

The pharmacists at Sand Run Pharmacy go above and beyond to meet the immunization needs of the community. They pride themselves on being a “Good Neighbor Pharmacy” and use the slogan of “locally loved.” Sand Run Pharmacy staff feel that one of the greatest benefits of going out into the community for vaccinations is having one-on-one time with patients that are often only engaged with over the telephone for other medication-related issues.