COVID-19 vaccines are now available without a doctor’s prescription at pharmacies around Denver and Colorado.
“Anybody that wants to come in — and it's been at least two months since your previous COVID vaccine — … we're welcome to help them,” said Dr. Kristin Holmes, owner of Capitol Heights Pharmacy in Congress Park.
Walgreens and CVS are similarly offering vaccine appointments without any need for a prescription, and Kaiser Permanente plans to open its walk-in vaccination clinics later this month. Doctors’ offices are also administering the shot.
It’s a significant change from just a couple weeks ago, when new federal rules created chaos — limiting eligibility for vaccines and requiring prescriptions for many patients to get them. Pharmacies in some states said they either couldn’t offer the COVID vaccine or would need a doctor’s order.
“I think everyone is a little bit confused right now,” said Holmes, who owns one of the few remaining independent pharmacies in the Denver metro area.
Colorado took action to counter the federal government’s restrictions.
Last month, the Food and Drug Administration restricted approval for this year’s COVID vaccines to just those who are 65 and older or at higher risk of severe disease. Others would need a prescription.
The changes happened under the leadership of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime critic of vaccines. Kennedy has taken several steps to restrict access to vaccines, including replacing the previous roster of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's vaccine advisory panel with vaccine skeptics, a move criticized by public health experts.
Chain pharmacies operating in Colorado said they would abide by those guidelines and require prescriptions. However, many states, including Colorado, have taken steps to bypass the new regulations.
Last week, Gov. Jared Polis and public health leaders issued a public health order that allows pharmacists to provide COVID vaccines without individual prescriptions.
Later that week, the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy temporarily changed its rules to also allow for pharmacists to administer COVID vaccines without a prescription. That rule change is temporary, but could become permanent after the state board revisits the decision in November.
Following those changes, chain pharmacies have reopened their appointments to vaccine seekers who do not have a prescription. Walgreens, CVS and Kaiser Permanente all told Denverite they will administer vaccines for those who want it.
The pharmacy chains are offering appointments through their websites, while Kaiser Permanente will host walk-in clinics for members starting in mid-September.
“I can confirm that COVID-19 vaccines are currently available at Walgreens in Colorado for eligible patients without a prescription,” wrote Brigid Sweeney, a Walgreens spokesperson, in an email.
Amy Thibault, a spokesperson for CVS, said Colorado is now one of 41 states where the pharmacy can offer COVID vaccines without a prescription from an outside provider.
As of Sept. 10, CVS still required a prescription for vaccination in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.
Questions still linger.
The recently reformed CDC’s vaccine advisory panel is set to meet next week to discuss COVID vaccines and potentially make a recommendation on who should receive them.
Depending on how that panel rules, it could mean that health insurers aren’t legally required to cover the cost of the vaccine.
Inventory isn’t expected to be a major concern, as vaccine distributors are reportedly producing similar volumes as last year’s, according to NPR. Holmes said they’re experiencing “shipping constraints”, but still has a couple hundred doses of Moderna’s vaccine on hand.
Those who want a specific vaccine may have to hunt for their preferred dose.
“I found most pharmacies kind of pick one and go with it,” Holmes said. “Those tend to be the Moderna or Pfizer.”
