Lack of synchronicity leading to vaccine confusion, pharmacy owner says

PITTSBURGH — The lack of synchronicity between state Department of Health and pharmacies is leading to much confusion regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.

Jay Adzema, pharmacy owner, says the situation “provides little faith that the state health department knows what they’re doing when it comes to a plan to make sure pharmacies like his get what they need.”

The issue, he says, is that the lack of communication between different parts of the process, with the state and county having listed the pharmacy as a location where you can get the vaccine, but the pharmacy having no vaccine to distribute.

“They’re in charge of the website and they are in charge of distribution and they’re not in sync,” Adzema said. “The state is not in the drug distribution business and probably shouldn’t be.”

In fact when it comes to where his next shipment of the vaccine could come from, it wasn’t someone from the state who called Adzema, he says.

“I got a call from some guy working from home in Wilkes-Barre, working off of an Excel spreadsheet saying, ‘Oh maybe we can get you some this week,’” he said,. “That’s how you’re piecing it together? Talking to some guy in Wilkes-Barre with a spreadsheet? Yes.”

And says the result of playing games like this is watching longtime customers like Dave Rohaly sit in limbo. Dave is waiting for his second shot and also questions what’s happening at the state level.

“Do they have a-plan in place? HaHa. That’s a good question. I don’t know you’d think so wouldn’t you?” Rohaly said.

So far Adzema’s pharmacy has given out all 200 doses they received. Now the fridge is empty again, and all Adzema wants is a regularly scheduled delivery.

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Cox Media Group