Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates
AmerisourceBergen and our global pharmaceutical healthcare businesses are monitoring the ongoing spread of the novel COVID-19 coronavirus.
Partnering to distribute EUA approved COVID-19 therapies
AmerisourceBergen is working with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in distributing COVID-19 therapies approved for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).
AmerisourceBergen Reaches Agreement with U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to Support Independent Community Pharmacies’ Access to COVID-19 Vaccine
As announced on 11/6, AmerisourceBergen has reached an agreement with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to include Good Neighbor Pharmacy and the Elevate Provider Network members in the Federal Pharmacy Partnership Strategy for COVID-19 Vaccination.
To support access, AmerisourceBergen will serve
as a network administrator and place orders with the CDC on behalf of qualified
and eligible Good Neighbor Pharmacy and Elevate Provider Network members.
AmerisourceBergen will receive a direct allocation of COVID-19 vaccine for
independent retail pharmacy customers once there is adequate supply of COVID-19
vaccine to support broader vaccination efforts. COVID-19 vaccine will be
distributed by the CDC’s central distributor.
“Independent
community pharmacies have been fearless and have risen to every challenge that
COVID-19 has presented this past year. Independent pharmacies are critical
sites of care in their communities year-round and many Americans turn to their
local pharmacy for a variety of immunizations annually,” said Brian
Nightengale, President of Good Neighbor Pharmacy. “We are beyond proud to help
our independent pharmacies gain access to COVID-19 vaccine. They are already
poised to join this next phase in the fight against the coronavirus and
continue to support their communities.”
This
effort will help jurisdictions augment access to COVID-19 vaccine when supply
increases and the vaccine is recommended for individuals beyond the initial
critical populations. With more than 90% of people living within 5 miles of a
community pharmacy, pharmacies have unique reach and ability to provide access
to COVID-19 vaccine and support broad vaccination efforts. This program will
provide critical vaccination services for the U.S. population, with vaccine
administered at community pharmacy locations at no cost to recipients. The
program will be implemented in close coordination with jurisdictions to ensure
optimal COVID-19 vaccination coverage and vaccine access nationwide.
Read the press release here.
Update on the Distribution of Veklury® (Remdesivir) from Gilead Sciences
Effective October 1, 2020, Veklury (remdesivir) will no longer be allocated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and State Departments of Health. This change is possible given that there is now sufficient supply of Veklury (remdesivir) to meet demand, even if a surge of COVID-19 cases occurs.
Starting October 1, 2020, hospitals can submit orders for Veklury (remdesivir) directly to AmerisourceBergen for the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. With this change, AmerisourceBergen, through its specialty distribution capabilities, will remain the sole U.S. distributor of Veklury (remdesivir) through the end of this year. It is important to note that orders should be placed on an as needed basis to treat current patients in accordance with EUA documentation for Veklury (remdesivir).
For further information on the EUA remdesivir, please see HHS’ October 1, 2020 announcement available at https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2020/10/01/veklury-remdesivir-available-directly-distributor-following-trump-administrations-successful-allocations.html.
Retail and specialty pharmacies are not eligible to purchase Veklury (remdesivir).
- For additional information regarding purchasing or how to access Veklury (remdesivir), please email remdesivir@amerisourcebergen.com, or call 1-800-746-6273 or reach out directly to your AmerisourceBergen representative.
- For information on clinical trials that are testing the use of remdesivir in COVID-19, please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.
- For additional medical information about Veklury (remdesivir), please visit https://www.askgileadmedical.com/remdesivir/ or call 1-866-MEDI-GSI (1-866-633-4474) Monday – Friday, 6am – 4pm PT.
We will update this message if/when additional information becomes available.