WASHINGTON — Pharmacists are tireless responders on the front lines of health care as our nation faces the COVID-19 pandemic. To assist them in staying safe and up to date with the latest research and practice guidance, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) offers new and current training programs and resources.

“We are diligently working on behalf of pharmacists and patients to address the training needs of all as we face unprecedented times,” said APhA vice president, Professional Education Resources, Daniel Zlott. “Pharmacists can assist patients in a number of ways, including helping to increase the number of individuals who are able to be tested for COVID-19 and providing education to patients.”

APhA’s COVID-19 Specimen Collection Training guides pharmacists through the collection of nasopharyngeal swabs, and the program will be adaptable to other testing methods once they become more widely available, such as nasal swabs, oral swabs, fingerstick tests, and other new technologies.

Frontline pharmacists are supposed to know the latest science so they can effectively answer questions from patients, other healthcare colleagues, and pharmacy staff about COVID-19. APhA’s 15 on COVID-19 Education Series is designed to provide needed education about COVID-19 through a series of 15-20 minute online episodes. Each episode focuses on a single topic and helps pharmacist separate fact from fiction and hypothesis from rumor so they can provide the best information to their patients and healthcare colleagues.

As of Tuesday morning, four of the 15 episodes are available and free to members and non-members with others to be offered soon. To further assist in the fight against COVID-19, APhA has provided comprehensive practice resources and a weekly webinar series to arm pharmacists with the latest information on the pandemic. To view, please visit APhA’s COVID-19 Training and Resource Page.