Stayton hospital offering Covid vaccines without prescription, a rarity in Oregon

Mary Anne Spradlin, 69, was surprised when she was turned away from getting a Covid-19 vaccine at the Target CVS pharmacy in Salem last week. 

Spradlin made the appointment the same way as she has in previous years: online, and paired with a flu shot. She has had Covid twice before and wanted to get the vaccine before traveling to Europe. 

But when she arrived for her appointment, the pharmacist told her she needed a prescription from her doctor or she could travel to Washington, where a recent standing order allows health care providers to administer the vaccine to anyone 6 months and older. 

Spradlin’s experience illustrates the confusion and frustration many Oregonians have felt in Salem and beyond trying to get a shot that was widely available last year.

Santiam Hospital & Clinics is the only local provider Salem Reporter could confirm is widely offering Covid boosters without a prescription.

They began offering the Pfizer vaccine Wednesday to eligible patients without a prescription, according to Pharmacy Director Aron Beugli. Patients 65 and up or ages 12-64 with an underlying medical condition are eligible.

Beugli said the pharmacy, located inside Santiam Hospital at 1401 N 10th Ave in Stayton, is hosting walk-in hours Monday through Friday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.. Patients need not make an appointment and the cost of the shot varies on insurance type. 

This year’s scrambling comes after federal changes that tightened who’s eligible for the shot and stalled recommendations that states rely on. They come as Oregon is seeing a recent surge in Covid-19 cases.

In June, the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired every member of the CDC committee responsible for making vaccine recommendations. The decision has led to the delay of federal vaccine recommendations until later this month, with the committee meeting on Sept. 18 and 19.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the Covid vaccine in late August for adults over the age of 65 and for those with qualifying health conditions — a broad list that includes asthma, diabetes, heart conditions, obesity and kidney disease. These requirements are more restrictive than past years. 

Currently, Oregonians eligible under the requirements can get the shot at their doctor’s office or with a prescription from their doctor, the Oregon Health Authority says. 

In the meantime, there is “no statewide protocol in place to allow pharmacists to provide this vaccine,” OHA spokesman Tim Heider said. Heider said OHA is working with the Oregon Board of Pharmacy and other agencies to restore Covid vaccine access in pharmacies.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek’s office said Thursday the governor is “frustrated” with access issues but lacks the authority under state law to guarantee vaccine access without prescription — something Washington and other states have done.

The Oregon Board of Pharmacy said another way pharmacies can offer the vaccine without a prescription is with a special agreement, such as the one the Santiam Hospital Pharmacy obtained. 

Heider said “coverage and reimbursement for vaccines are driven by federal rules and insurers’ policies.”

At Salem Health, spokeswoman Lisa Wood said “the access to and availability of the Covid vaccine is uncertain at this time.” 

Salem Health pharmacies are not currently administering the vaccine, but doctors can prescribe it to eligible patients.

Wood said the hospital will be looking to recommendations made by the recently-formed West Coast Health Alliance and the CDC. 

Oregon joined the alliance along with California and Washington on Sept. 3, and it now includes Hawaii, in an effort “to safeguard public health,” drawing its own public health recommendations for the states, a statement from the Oregon governor’s office said. 

This story has been updated to include recent comment from Salem Health.

Have a news tip? Contact reporter Hailey Cook: [email protected] or (208) 515-4097.

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