UNE providing vaccination training to help address public health emergency

Faculty members from the University of New England’s School of Pharmacy are providing vaccination training for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy interns as Maine prepares to efficiently deliver COVID-19 vaccinations.

“The training has a 12 hour self-study program, an eight hour live session with very rigorous didactics, and a two hour assessment of injection technique along with a final exam that participants must pass,” Dan Mickool, B.S., R.Ph, M.S., Ed. D., director of continuing education at UNE’s School of Pharmacy told WMTW.

Governor Janet Mills has approved a measure, joining six other states, to allow pharmacy technicians to give vaccinations during the current public health emergency. UNE’s training program is the only one that meets Maine’s 20-hour requirement for pharmacy technicians.

“The UNE School of Pharmacy, working with our colleagues at the Maine Pharmacy Association and Maine Society of Health-System Pharmacists, is excited to play an integral role as we prepare for the availability of the COVID-19 vaccines,” stated Robert McCarthy, Ph.D., dean of UNE’s School of Pharmacy. “Our Office of Continuing Education is offering, with the assistance of our faculty trainers, immunization training and certification to pharmacists, pharmacy students, and pharmacy technicians who have not already received the training. Once the vaccine is available, we will join with Maine pharmacists and other health professions colleagues to begin immunization across our state.”

UNE will partner with Maine Medical Center in Portland and Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor for the in-person portion of the training. Participants will be staggered into small groups at specific times to limit contact at a single facility.

Read more at the Morning Sentinel and WABI 5.