Three groups that represent doctors quickly opposed a plan to direct most of the supply of Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 vaccine to suppliers who distributed it more quickly.
The plan, announced Friday, is “a regrettable mistake” that will, among other things, deny people a reliable source of information that can overcome the vaccine’s reluctance, according to a statement from the Pennsylvania Academy of Family Physicians. , Pennsylvania Osteopathic Medical Society and the American College of Physicians.
The plan is a response to several classifications that put vaccine implementation in Pennsylvania among the slowest in the country.
This means that a larger share of the supply will go to large community health systems and pharmacists. In another new requirement, vaccination providers must use at least 80% of doses within one week after receiving them.
Those who fail, or who administer doses to people who are not part of Phase 1A to receive the vaccine, will see their allocations even lower.
“Without a solid justification and demonstrating a lack of understanding of the way most people in Pennsylvania receive their health care, the [Gov. Tom Wolf] Management is making an unfortunate mistake in excluding primary care physicians as eligible providers. The order was implemented without consultation with groups of interested doctors who represent many thousands of primary care physicians across the Community, ”said the doctors.
Acting State Secretary of Health Alison Beam, in a note written on Saturday, defended the changes, which come in the form of a dispatch signed by her and another signed by Governor Tom Wolf.
“We are focused on vaccinating the most vulnerable Pennsylvania citizens as quickly as possible to help prevent hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19. The request I signed yesterday will help achieve that goal by focusing vaccination efforts on providers who can distribute the vaccine more efficiently to more people in Pennsylvania, ”said Beam’s statement in part.
She also called the move a “temporary move” as well as a “bold and decisive plan to vaccinate more citizens of Pennsylvania quickly”. The reductions will be based mainly on how well the providers are doing next week in meeting the new standards.
It was not known on Saturday how many primary care doctors, also known as family doctors, will no longer receive the vaccine or have their allocations reduced.
Bean said she expects the number of vaccine suppliers to drop to 200-300, down from almost 800. She said that independent health care systems and pharmacists will receive most of the supply. The state is also directing much of its supply to vaccinate people in long-term care facilities.
Wolf’s health department and office on Saturday did not specifically address questions about how many primary doctors will be cut and how many will remain.
Many primary care medical practices in Pennsylvania are owned or closely associated with major health systems. Based on previous statements from health systems, their community medical practices played an important role in providing patients with the COVID-19 vaccine and planned to expand this capacity as the supply of vaccines increased.
Groups of doctors did not immediately answer questions on Saturday.
In their statement, they emphasized that they are reliable sources of medical information for patients and can help patients overcome their reluctance to receive the vaccine.
“A pharmacist or other provider unknown to the patient will not be able to provide the same level of confidence,” they said in their statement. “In addition, many elderly people in Pennsylvania may believe that they will receive the vaccine at their primary care physician’s office. The new order creates yet another obstacle for a demographic group that is already struggling to navigate the vaccine distribution landscape. “
The new orders announced on Friday also require vaccine providers to fulfill scheduling requests over the phone, rather than just using electronic scheduling. They must have people available to take calls.
Beam said he will help people who do not have online access or are not used to using websites.