Covid shots not yet available at CVS without prescription despite Pa. policy change

Pennsylvania officials this week authorized eligible people to get a covid-19 vaccine without a prescription.

The state said the change took effect immediately.

But, as of Friday afternoon, patients hoping to get the vaccines at CVS locations were still being told they needed a doctor’s order.

CVS has about 500 stores in Pennsylvania.

At CVS in Rostraver, an employee said, as of Friday, customers do need a prescription, but they expect that guidance to change in the next week or two.

Other CVS locations in Mt. Lebanon and Brookline also were telling customers they still needed prescriptions.

Amy Thibault, a CVS spokeswoman, said the pharmacy chain hopes to make the vaccines available without a prescription starting Saturday, “but it could be a bit longer.”

The vaccines are available now — with a prescription, she said. And people who don’t have a prescription can get one at the CVS MinuteClinic.

Thibault said the delay is occurring because CVS was waiting for a signed protocol from the Pennsylvania Board of Pharmacy.

On Wednesday, the board changed its policies to make it easier to get the covid shot without a prescription because the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has not authorized the latest vaccine.

Thibault said the pharmacy chain got the signed document about noon Friday. CVS’s system takes about 24 to 48 hours to update, she said, and that will have to happen before the change goes into effect.

A spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of State declined to answer questions Friday about when pharmacies received the official notice or which pharmacies received it but provided a link to an online posting from the Board of Pharmacy detailing the change. It is dated Friday.

The change took effect immediately, said Matt Heckel, a Pennsylvania Department of State spokesman.

“However, while pharmacies work through the practical implementation of the board’s expanded approvals, Pennsylvania patients interested in getting a covid vaccine should contact their pharmacy before scheduling an appointment to ensure availability,” he said in a statement.

In a news release Thursday from Gov. Josh Shapiro’s office, Sid Tenneti, senior vice president of retail pharmacy at CVS Health, said, “Following today’s regulatory action by the Pennsylvania Board of Pharmacy, CVS Pharmacy will ensure covid-19 vaccinations are available as soon as possible at our locations throughout Pennsylvania.”

State law requires pharmacists to administer vaccines in line with guidance from the CDC. The agency’s immunization committee has not yet recommended the latest covid-19 shots, which target a newer strain of the virus.

Patients who wanted a vaccine had to have a prescription to work around that issue.

But the state pharmacy board in a special meeting Wednesday voted to approve additional authorities pharmacists could consult for guidance, removing that obstacle.

Those authorities include the federal Food and Drug Administration and three medical groups.

Pharmacists in Pennsylvania still must follow FDA guidance that limits the jabs to people 65 and older and younger people who have risk factors for severe illness.

Brigid Sweeney, a Walgreens spokesperson, said covid-19 vaccines are available at Walgreens locations in Pennsylvania. Eligible patients do not need a prescription.

Patients who don’t meet the eligibility requirements can receive the shot with a prescription, she said.

Walgreens has roughly 100 stores in the state.

At Giant Eagle’s pharmacies, covid-19 vaccines were available starting Friday for people who meet the FDA’s eligibility criteria without a prescription, spokeswoman Jannah Drexler said.

A spot check of several pharmacies Friday showed some locations did not have covid vaccinations in stock, including Spartan Pharmacy in Bethel Park.

At Giant Eagle in West Newton, an employee said they are awaiting clarification from the company about whether a prescription will be necessary to get the vaccine.

Some pharmacies said they were awaiting the results of a CDC advisory committee meeting this month.