We received many inquiries from various nurses and interested parties about how they could help vaccinate our community against COVID-19. Up until recently though, pharmacists could not supervise other licensed personnel for vaccinations. If you have interest in Data Entry or User Volunteering, please click here.
Good news. The state has fixed this for COVID-19.
Statewide Standing Order for Administering COVID-19 Vaccines
Under state law, nurses and MAs may administer vaccines only under the prescription of certain kinds of prescribers, which do not include pharmacists. These standing orders will give nurses and MAs the legal authority they need to assist pharmacies with their vaccination efforts. Providers will need to abide by their normal standards of practice and governing laws in operating under these standing orders. These standing orders will not permit administration of a vaccine if any contraindication or precaution is identified during screening. Anybody with those conditions would need to get a personalized consultation from a qualified health care provider.
The links below will take you to two standing orders for the administration of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
Standing Order Pfizer CDC
Standing Order Moderna CDC
For our liability insurance carrier requirements:
- We can accept any pharmacist or technician who is immunization certified
- Any RN or MA operating under the standing orders above
- Any MD or provider with prescriptive authority covering COVID-19 vaccines.
- Volunteers in this group must have their own active liability insurance coverage
- ALL MUST HAVE ACTIVE WASHINGTON LICENSES
Ok, now for those with expired/retired credentials. We also have options outside of our liability carrier. The PREP act covers you for liability (INFO BELOW). We would need your confirmation letter (sample below).
Please drop us your details if you have interest in helping out!
PREP Act Authorization for Health Care Workers with Expired or Inactive Licenses to Administer COVID-19 Vaccines
What’s New?
The Washington State Department of Health, in partnership with our health profession boards and commissions, is taking action to support retired health care workers or those with inactive licenses to more easily get back into the workforce to administer the COVID-19 vaccine.
The goal is to ensure we have a robust workforce to help us bring an end to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please find the attached Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP Act)authorization from Secretary of Health Dr. Umair Shah for health care workers with expired or inactive licenses to administer COVID-19 vaccines under certain circumstances.
How do I participate?
- To participate, health care workers must register for WAserv at https://www.waserv.org.
Step-by-step instructions on how to register can be found at https://www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/COVID19/HealthcareProviders
Before registering, participants will need to have access to previous Washington state credential numbers, which may be obtained through the Department of Health’s Provider Credential Search, accessible at https://fortress.wa.gov/doh/providercredentialsearch/. The Department of Health will also be checking out of state credentials for any disciplinary history.
After registering, participants must wait to receive confirmation from the Department of Health that they are authorized to administer COVID-19 vaccines under Dr. Shah’s authorization.
Questions about registration? Please email waserv@doh.wa.gov.
More Resources:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 vaccine training
- Department of Heath COVID-19 vaccine training resources
- Washington State Pharmacy Association immunization training
- Oregon Health Science University dental immunization training
- Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS):
- VAERS Overview video
- VAERS demonstration video
State vs Federal Authorization. What’s the difference?
Certain health care workers with expired/inactive licenses may qualify for PREP Act coverage under both state and federal authorizations. Secretary of Health Shah’s authorization for Washington State currently allows broader participation. However, providers who meet both state and federal requirements may choose to qualify under either authorization. The current version of the federal authorization may be found at https://www.phe.gov/Preparedness/legal/prepact/Pages/default.aspx.
This is what your confirmation email looks like, and what we need you to bring with you for our files
Hello PREP Act volunteer,
Thank you for applying to volunteer your services through the U.S. Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, also known as the PREP Act. This email serves as proof that your Inactive or Expired Washington healthcare provider credential(s) have been verified. Show this to any hospital, clinic, pharmacy or authorized vaccination event requiring proof that you are eligible to volunteer.
The PREP Act:
· Authorizes individuals with expired or inactive health care provider licenses to administer COVID-19 vaccines throughout the State of Washington, subject to the requirements stated in the Act (please familiarize yourself with these requirements).
· Provides immunity from liability under federal and state law to those engaged in this vital and challenging work.
· Allows you to administer only COVID-19 vaccines
· Will remain in effect until the PREP Act is amended, rescinded, or overridden.
You may be called upon by the state when needed. You can also reach out to your local Health Department, Medical Reserve Corp, city and county authorities, hospitals, clinics and authorized pharmacy’s for opportunities to volunteer your services.
We appreciate your efforts to take care of yourself, your family, and our community.
Volunteer Management Team
2020 Novel CoV Incident Management Team
Washington State Department of Health
e-mail: WAserv@doh.wa.gov