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Travis AFB pharmacies implement ‘no touch’ procedure amidst COVID-19 outbreak

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Cameron Otte
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. – The Base Exchange Satellite Pharmacy and David Grant USAF Medical Center Pharmacy at Travis Air Force Base, California, implemented a new mitigation procedure called Touchless Pickup March 16.

The procedure will be in place until Coronavirus Disease 2019 is under control. 

The pharmacies are utilizing the Touchless Pickup procedure to help mitigate the spread of the virus. The pharmacies remain open to all eligible beneficiaries. 

“The Touchless Pickup procedure will work similar to the normal way we operate,” said Senior Master Sgt. Holly Burke, 60th Medical Group pharmacy flight chief. “Before entering the pharmacy, all patients will be required to answer questions to confirm they don’t have any of the common symptoms the coronavirus is known to cause. Once patients have been verified to not have symptoms and are granted access, they will need to get a ticket from one of our kiosks.”

The virus can survive for several hours on surfaces, so each kiosk is cleaned every 30-minutes, Burke added. 

Base pharmacy professionals also came up with ways to promote physical distancing.

“To promote social distancing, we laid out red tapes that form a line in front of our kiosks,” said Burke. “Patrons will wait in single file behind each tape to ensure a safe distance between one another. There are also plastic barriers placed on every other chair to ensure proper space between each person waiting to be called.”

Additionally, pharmacy technicians now have clear, plastic barriers between them and their customers, Burke said. Customers simply hold up their identification cards, and the pharmacy technicians can verify identities and retrieve prescriptions while maintaining physical distance.

“Our primary goal right now is to keep Team Travis safe while providing our customers with continuous medical care,” said Col. Kristen Beals, 60th Medical Group commander. “The procedures our pharmacies have put in place to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 enable us to do just that.”   

To activate new prescriptions from DGMC or network providers, call: 707-423-7657.