Thread by @DataDrivenMD, /Federally-funded retail pharmacy partnership has been allocated 72,400,740 doses as of May [...]

/Federally-funded retail pharmacy partnership has been allocated 72,400,740 doses as of May 2, 2021.

source: CDC

Based on publicly available data from the CDC/HHS, it is unclear how many of the 72.4 million doses:

have actually been administered vs. how many are in storage

carried-over from the long-term care vaccination program (ended April 23, 2021)

source: CDC/HHS

Based on publicly available data from the CDC/HHS, it is unclear how many of the 72.4 million doses:have actually been administered vs. how many are in storagecarried-over from the long-term care vaccination program (ended April 23, 2021)source: CDC/HHS

I estimate that ~545,000 doses have been wasted via the retail pharmacy program

This is based on historical data obtained by @KHNews
(ie. 0.753% x 72.4 million) https://khn.org/news/article/cvs-and-walgreens-have-wasted-more-vaccine-doses-than-most-states-combined/

CVS and Walgreens Have Wasted More Vaccine Doses Than Most States Combined

More than 200,000 doses of covid vaccine have gone to waste since December, KHN has learned. Two national pharmacy chains account for most of it.

https://khn.org/news/article/cvs-and-walgreens-have-wasted-more-vaccine-doses-than-most-states-combined/

Nearly 1 in 4 COVID-19 vaccine doses had been *allocated* to the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program as of May 2

We do not, know how many of these were actually *administered* in retail pharmacies, however.

source: CDC

In the 19 states (below) the share of COVID-19 vaccine doses allocated to retail pharmacies is higher than the national average (> 24%)

source: CDC

Kentucky ranks #1 in doses allocated to retail pharmacies, but 27th nationally in terms of % of population fully vaccinated.

In Kentucky, nearly 1 in 3 COVID-19 vaccine doses are allocated to retail pharmacies.

source: CDC

Kentucky, South Carolina, and Nevada are the 3 states with the highest share of doses allocated to retail pharmacies *and* they are lagging in their vaccination efforts overall according to a @KFF analysis.

source: CDC

Maryland, Illinois, and Massachusetts rank 4-6 in terms of states with the highest share of COVID-19 vaccine doses allocated to retail pharmacies *and* they are doing well and/or above-average in their vaccination efforts according to a @KFF analysis.

source: CDC

Taken together, the data suggests that the federal retail pharmacy program is:

good strategy in the Northeast

bad fit for the South + Nevada

neither good or bad for the rest of the country

source: CDC, KFF
KFF analysis URL: https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/supply-vs-demand-which-states-are-reaching-their-covid-19-vaccine-tipping-points/

Taken together, the data suggests that the federal retail pharmacy program is:good strategy in the Northeastbad fit for the South + Nevadaneither good or bad for the rest of the countrysource: CDC, KFFKFF analysis URL: https://www.kff.org/policy-watch/supply-vs-demand-which-states-are-reaching-their-covid-19-vaccine-tipping-points/

So, why is the federal retail pharmacy program good in some instances, but not in others? At least part of the difference has to do with the ratio of population-to-pharmacies

Nevada: 11300 persons/pharmacy
vs.

Massachusetts: 9500 persons/pharmacy https://twitter.com/datadrivenmd/status/1390846924077428741

https://twitter.com/datadrivenmd/status/1390846924077428741

So, why is the federal retail pharmacy program good in some instances, but not in others? At least part of the difference has to do with the ratio of population-to-pharmacies Nevada: 11300 persons/pharmacyvs.Massachusetts: 9500 persons/pharmacy https://twitter.com/datadrivenmd/status/1390846924077428741

It may also have something to do with the pharmacies themselves. Nevada, for instance, there are proportionally more Albertsons and Smith’s pharmacies than in Maryland (both states have the roughly the same number of pharmacies per capita)

https://twitter.com/datadrivenmd/status/1390852820270686213