Many Independent NJ Pharmacies Still Don't Have COVID Vaccine

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — New Jersey continues to roll out the coronavirus vaccine to government-run mega-sites, supermarkets, hundreds of Rite Aids and CVS stores and to clinics that serve the poor.

Everyone, it seems, is getting the vaccine — except for one group: Independently owned pharmacies.

As of March 17, most small and family-owned pharmacies in New Jersey still haven't been given the coronavirus vaccine, the state Dept. of Health confirmed to Patch. This was a deliberate decision by the Dept. of Health because they worry the pharmacies don't have cold-enough storage for the vaccine.

Jill and Richard Stryker, the owners of Bayshore Pharmacy in Atlantic Highlands, have been waiting for months now. They also own Middletown Family Pharmacy in Belford.

"The Department of Health continues to tell us there is not enough supply for independent pharmacies or physician's offices, directly contradicting Governor Murphy's statement of massive increases in inventory," said Stryker on Wednesday.

When asked by Patch last week, the state Dept. of Health confirmed that it has deliberately withheld the vaccines from mom-and-pop pharmacies, saying they do not have freezers that are cold enough to store the Moderna or Pfizer vials.

"Initially the two vaccines available had storage and handling requirements that were difficult for many to accommodate, such as ultra-cold storage and administering multiple doses within a shortened time frame," said Dept. of Health spokeswoman Dawn Thomas. "With the authorization of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and increasing allocations of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine, the state will continue to expand access and availability of vaccines. However, at this time supplied remain limited."

Stryker acknowledges he does not have the ultra-cold freezers required for the Pfizer shot. But he said he does have freezers to store the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson shot, both of which he said do not have to be stored as cold. He also has emails from the Dept. of Health acknowledging his ability to store and handle the vaccine.

He still got no shots.

"The state has repeatedly said they would supply physicians and pharmacies as soon as the supply increased," said Stryker.

"If the state really had no additional doses for the local pharmacies, there would be no additional doses for the Visiting Nurse Association site at the Red Bank YMCA (which opened Jan 19), the VNA mega-site at Bell Works that opened January 27, the Parker Family Health Center and Pilgrim Baptist Church site that opened Feb 4 or the VNA site at the Community Health Center of Asbury Park that opened March 8," he added.

Six "mom-and-pop pharmacies" in NJ do have the vaccine, and they were selected by the state Dept. of Health.

Once there is more single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine available, the state intends to distribute it to all the independent pharmacies across the state, said Brian Oliveira, executive director of Garden State Pharmacy Owners, a trade association of independent pharmacies.

It all comes back to the state of NJ still not having enough supply, he said.

"There are people with cystic fibrosis who are still struggling to get this vaccine," said Oliveira. "The Dept. of Health's communication all along has been once there is more J&J vaccine available, it will be given to all providers."

For full information about getting a coronavirus vaccine in New Jersey, visit Patch's hub: https://patch.com/new-jersey/a...

Related: Middletown Pharmacist Asks: Why Can't His Store Offer Vaccines?

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