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Guest Post: Whistler Gets The Mumps!
When a mumps outbreak was announced in Whistler on May 12, 2016, local pharmacists were quick to join forces with public health nurses to offer support. The four pharmacy locations in Whistler Village administered over 360 MMR vaccines in less than a month. Combined with additional public health immunization clinics, more than 500 individuals were vaccinated.
Whistler’s demographic of young seasonal workers (and ski bums) living and playing in close quarters, makes it a hot-bed for disease transmission. The majority of those affected by mumps were young males who were either partially immunized or had an unknown vaccination status. As of June 21, 2016, there were 59 confirmed cases reported within the Vancouver Coastal Health Region.
When the mumps outbreak was identified, public health representatives were quick to call upon local pharmacists for support. Over the past few years, nursing and pharmacy colleagues have worked together to support the community. Pharmacists have helped with influenza vaccination clinics and public health nurses have been a vital source of knowledge and support regarding all things relating to vaccines. As such, a call for help was sent out via email and Whistler pharmacists responded immediately to screen eligible patients, track all immunizations per location and provide mumps-specific information to the public.
Many individuals who inquired about the mumps vaccine did not have updated vaccination records and were from out of province or country, so Rexall Village Square pharmacist Linda Wiegel found that a fair bit of time was needed per injection. “It became a major focus to both review vaccination history and make sure patients left with vaccination records,” she added.
The sudden and unanticipated increase in workload – up to 20 vaccinations per day – was also a challenging demand on the pharmacy workflow, but they made it work! Clear and organized communications from the public health office was invaluable to making sure the process ran efficiently. “They prepared us very well to answer mumps-specific questions and access vaccine supply when needed,” said Lynnette Chiu, pharmacist at Rexall Marketplace. Preparation was another key to maintaining a good workflow. “Patients typically came in groups and spurts, therefore, it was important to have everything ready to go to ensure efficiency,” said pharmacist Chris Lee from Shoppers Drug Mart.
Although challenges were evident, the mumps outbreak also shed light on a few positive takeaways. “The outbreak has been a great opportunity to work more closely with other health care professionals in the community,” said pharmacist Lexi Shewchuk of Nesters Pharmacy.
Situations like this can be beneficial for relationship building as they provide greater insight into the scope of practice of other health care professionals. See our Top 5 tips on managing vaccines if an outbreak occurs in your neck of the woods:
5 Tips on Managing Vaccines During an Outbreak
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Ensure that you have open lines of communication – both phone and email – with your local public health centre.
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If you are able to schedule additional staff during an outbreak, do it. If not, see if you can identify strategies to optimize workflow during times of increased demand (make sure all pharmacy staff is informed and involved, and that supplies are easily accessible)
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Encourage your patients to keep up-to-date vaccination records. If they don’t have one when they come into the pharmacy, make sure they leave with one!
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Get to know your local public health team. The nurses and support staff are your best friend when immunization-specific knowledge is needed or an outbreak occurs in your community.
- Keep your vaccination knowledge and skills up-to-date! Pharmacists are a valuable health care resource for more than just flu shots.
Jennifer Dunkin is a graduate of the University of Alberta who relocated to BC six years ago. She has practiced in a variety of pharmacy settings including hospital, community and primary care. She is also a moderator and coach for the CPhA’s ADAPT program. Currently based in Whistler, BC, Jen stays involved with initiatives that support pharmacists to practice to their full scope.
Lexi Shewchuk graduated from the University of Saskatchewan's College of Pharmacy in 2012 and headed West after convocation to pursue the Sea to Sky dream. She has been living and working as a community pharmacist in Whistler ever since. In May 2015, she obtained her Certificate in Travel Health from the International Society of Travel Medicine, and is excited to provide pharmacy services in this area.
Both Lexi and Jen take full advantage of all of the non-pharmacy activities that Whistler has to offer!
- Guest Post, Interdisciplinary Relationships, Injections
