Some Alberta pharmacists cancelling COVID-19 vaccine appointments amid supply shortages

Alberta’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout for booster immunizations began on Monday, but pharmacies across the province are already experiencing shortages of supply with some being forced to cancel appointments.

Cambrian Pharmacy in northwest Calgary ordered its supply in early October ahead of bookings opening up on Oct. 10, but it already has a massive waitlist for the COVID-19 vaccine.

“In my situation, I have at least 200 people on my waitlist for the COVID shot,” said pharmacy manager Mathieu Giroux.

“Luckily we were able to stock order in early October two weeks ahead of the actual start, but it’s still not enough. Other pharmacies went short right away and they’re not able to order more until the following week.”

Giroux was limited to ordering 100 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, as mandated by Alberta Health. He was able to procure more, although that supply is dwindling too.

“If we have 50 appointments and everyone gets the Moderna shot, then basically in two days we have our supply gone for two weeks,” he added.

Meanwhile, other pharmacies like the Medicine Shoppe in Calgary aren’t seeing any shortages at all.

Pharmacist Lauren Sule says her team was able to order 100 doses of Moderna and 100 doses of Pfizer without any issues.

“So far, we’ve had a great turnout. Monday and Tuesday have been our busiest days, booked solid with appointments, but the ordering system has been going very smoothly,” she said.

“Even with the initial vaccine week, we haven’t had any shortages or low supply.”

In a statement Thursday, the Government of Alberta insisted there was “no shortage” of COVID-19 vaccines.

“However, initial limits are placed to ensure an equitable distribution across the province and to limit waste,” Andrew Livingstone, a spokesperson with Alberta Health, said in the statement.

“Pharmacies should be booking appointments to meet their on-hand supply. We understand that some pharmacies over booked.”

The province also said demand is “not higher than expected.”

“Pharmacists manage their appointments and walk-ins according to their inventory,” Livingstone continued.

“Those pharmacies offering the vaccine to Albertans should make sure they set up their appointment availability based on their supply to ensure they aren’t having to cancel appointments.”

A spokesperson for McKesson Canada, the company that distributes the vaccines in Alberta, says the dose limitation is out of its control, but it does have vaccines on hand for pharmacy orders.

“Ordering opened last week so there may have been an adjustment period or temporary gaps,” spokesperson Michelle Lee-Gracey said.

The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine is available to order as of Thursday, according to a statement from McKesson Canada.

Pharmacies should receive delivery this week. A limit of 100 doses per week for Moderna and 120 doses per week for Pfizer is in place to ensure “equitable distribution.”

SEVERAL FACTORS IMPACTING PROCUREMENT OF COVID-19 VACCINES

Matt Tachuk, the Alberta Pharmacists’ Association (APA) director of pharmacy practice, notes a number of factors are influencing the COVID vaccine supply shortage, including increased demand.

“We fully expect that as the days and weeks progress the supply chain for vaccine should improve and Albertans will be able to receive their vaccination in due course,” Tachuk said in a statement to CTV News.

“It is important for the public to understand that community pharmacists are doing their best to book appointments and provide vaccination services with the products they are able to receive.”

Tachuk also says that there has been a large product change for the COVID-19 vaccine to address the strain currently circulating, which is the XBB.1.5 subvariant.

“This made the ‘old’ COVID-19 vaccines obsolete, meaning that pharmacies had to await the new supply of vaccine coming into the province. Approval for the XBB.1.5 COVID-19 vaccine occurred quite late this fall and inconsistently across the different manufacturers, which delayed the arrival of vaccine in the province,” he said.

“First Moderna’s product was approved, followed by the product made by Pfizer. It is our understanding that the province purchased vaccine and began distributing doses as soon as they arrived into the province, however, the total volume of vaccine does not arrive all at once, but in a series of shipments over several weeks.”

According to the APA statement, vaccines arrive in the provincial vaccine repository and from there they are distributed more broadly, including through major pharmacy wholesalers, and then out to the actual pharmacies.

“With over 1,600 pharmacies across the province, the distribution process takes time and began in late September with a goal of achieving an initial allocation of COVID-19 vaccine to each community pharmacy by Oct. 16,” the APA said.

“The approach being used for COVID-19 vaccine distribution this year is similar to how pharmacies receive Influenza vaccine in advance of the flu program start date, however, the addition of COVID-19 vaccine now means pharmacies are working to source two high-demand public health vaccines instead of just one.”