This page last updated on 12/18/2024 at 14:30.

*  The prescription requirement for pharmacist-administered vaccines in New York is handled in one of two ways.
Either:

• • A) The pharmacist issues a patient-specific prescription pursuant to a non-patient-specific standing order issued by a collaborating provider, OR
  • B) The patient obtains a patient-specific prescription written by their own provider, which is then administered by the pharmacist.

Riverside Remedies currently does not have a non-patient-specific standing order to administer the vaccines indicated above, which is why a prescription written by your primary care provider is necessary for us to administer those vaccines.  If your provider declines to issue you a prescription on the grounds that it is not necessary, simply explain that we do not have a standing order for the vaccine in question and/or refer them to this page for more information.

In short, a prescription is always required; the difference is who is able to write it.

News and Updates

21 November 2024:

Starting Monday, November 25th, we will begin offering RSV vaccination (Pfizer’s Abrysvo) by appointment only.

More details can be found in the RSV section below.

16 September 2024:

Our 2024 vaccine season will commence on Monday, September 16th at 10:00 AM.

We will have a very limited quantity of 50 Moderna COVID-19 vaccine doses ready to go on that date.

Standard-dose influenza vaccines have also arrived; patients may elect to receive both at the same time if desired.

As pharmacies must purchase these vaccines at prevailing market cost (each carton of 10 COVID-19 doses costs us approximately $1,500), our resupply times will depend on how much we can afford, how quickly insurance is able to remit reimbursement, and whether current market supply holds without severe shortages.

This page will continue to be updated throughout the fall and winter to reflect current vaccine stock and expected shipment arrivals.

COVID-19 Vaccine

We will be offering the Moderna mRNA COVID-19 (Spikevax) vaccine for adolescents and adults, aged 12 years and up, when available and as supplies last.

All administrations will be on a first-come first-served basis starting at 10:00 AM on Monday, September 16th.

Vaccinations will continue daily, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, Monday through Thursday, until supply is exhausted.

COVID-19 vaccines may be administered without regard to timing of receipt of other non-live vaccines, however we advise waiting at least two weeks between vaccine administrations, if time allows, to minimize severity of adverse reactions should they occur.

As of this time, the FDA has not approved any COVID-19/Influenza vaccine combination products.  Individuals desiring protection against both diseases must receive each vaccine separately.

Most insurance plans cover COVID-19 vaccination at no cost; for those without insurance or whose insurance declines to cover COVID-19 vaccines, each dose is available for $198.00.

We do not anticipate obtaining or administering the Pfizer mRNA vaccine (Comirnaty) or Novovax this year.

Receiving a COVID-19 Vaccine:

COVID-19 vaccines are administered on a walk-in basis, Monday through Thursday every week, between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm, depending on supply.

No vaccines are administered on Fridays and Saturdays.

The minimum age for vaccination at Riverside Remedies is 12 years of age; there is no maximum age.

 Vaccine cards are no longer required for recording administration.  We cannot issue new cards, but will continue to record new doses on your existing card if one is presented.

COVID-19 Consent Forms will be provided within the pharmacy.

Influenza Vaccine

In a departure from previous years, the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has opted to drop one of the two influenza B components from the 2024-25 formula as that particular strain (influenza B/Yamagata) has not been observed in global surveillance since March 2020.  As such, all influenza vaccines this year will be trivalent only.

As in previous years, we will not be purchasing or administering any high-dose or adjuvanted influenza vaccines due to the unfavorable cost/benefit ratio with purchasing these vaccines.

Our stance has always been, and remains, that consistent annual vaccination affords greater annual protection than any single dose, and that most individuals without preexisting immunocompromising or pulmonary disorders will be just fine with a standard dose.
Advertisements often portray the high-dose vaccines as necessary for all individuals aged 65 and older, but this is not necessarily the case – especially if you receive a dose annually.

If you feel that a high-dose vaccine is necessary, we recommend discussing and/or obtaining the vaccine from your physician.

Most insurance plans cover influenza vaccination at no cost; for those without insurance or whose insurance declines to cover influenza vaccines, each dose is available for $32.00.

Receiving an Influenza Vaccine:

Influenza vaccines are administered on a walk-in basis, Monday through Thursday every week, between 10:00 am and 3:00 pm, depending on supply.

No vaccines are administered on Fridays and Saturdays.

The minimum age for vaccination at Riverside Remedies is 5 years of age; there is no maximum age.

Influenza Vaccine Consent Forms will be provided within the pharmacy.

Shingrix Vaccine

Shingrix is a two-dose series available to adults aged 50 years and older to protect against shingles.

Adults under 50 who are at increased risk due to immunodeficiency or immunosuppression due to disease or therapy may be recommended to receive immunization.

The two doses are separated by a period of two to six months.  It is the patient’s responsibility to keep track of timing of the second dose.

Please call or visit the pharmacy prior to your first dose to confirm availability and to set up a time to receive the first dose.  

Shingrix is available by prescription only.

Tetanus Vaccine

Tetanus/diptheria/acellular pertussis vaccine boosters are available by appointment for adults aged 18 years of age or older.

Please be aware that our sole product stocked for this purpose is Adacel (Tdap).  

Adults should receive one booster every 10 years, during each pregnancy, and/or if a wound is sustained that increases an individual’s risk of contracting tetanus.

Speak to a pharmacist for more information (it’s more complicated than it appears).

A prescription is not required to receive Adacel, though we strongly recommend obtaining one.

Pneumonia Vaccines

The new guidelines reflecting the addition of Prevnar-20 to the previously available vaccines (Prevnar-13 and Pneumovax-23) may influence which vaccine(s) you should receive.

Most adults need only a single dose of Prevnar-20, though other circumstances may exist wherein one or both of the other two vaccines are preferred.

Speak to a pharmacist for more information.  Pneumonia vaccines are available by appointment only.

Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine

General information:

Starting Monday, November 25th, we will be offering Pfizer’s Abrysvo RSV vaccine to eligible individuals.

Please call ahead to schedule an appointment before arriving!  

RSV is a highly contagious virus that causes infections of the lungs and breathing passages in individuals of all age groups.  RSV circulation is seasonal, typically starting during the fall and peaking in the winter.  In older adults, RSV is a common cause of lower respiratory tract disease (LRTD), which affects the lungs and can cause life-threatening pneumonia and bronchiolitis.  According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, each year in the U.S., RSV leads to approximately 60,000-120,000 hospitalizations and 6,000-10,000 deaths among adults 65 years of age and older.

Abrysvo is administered as a single dose to the following groups of eligible individuals:

• Adults 60 years of age or older;
• Adults 18 to 59 years of age who are at increased risk of lower respiratory tract disease complications caused by RSV (i.e. asthma, COPD, emphysema, chronic bronchitis, etc); and
• Pregnant women at 32 to 36 weeks gestational age for the prevention of lower respiratory tract disease in infants from birth through 6 months of age.

The side effect profile is largely similar to most other vaccines, except with a higher incidence of injection site pain due to the vaccine containing an adjuvant – an ingredient that helps elicit a stronger immune response against the pathogen.  Adjuvanted vaccines typically have somewhat higher rates of injection site pain as compared to non-adjuvanted vaccines, though such pain often  resolves within a few days.  Other adjuvanted vaccines include Fluad (one of the three influenza vaccine formulations designed for seniors), Shingrix (zoster/shingles), and most tetanus vaccines.

Receiving an RSV Vaccine:

     RSV vaccines are administered by appointment only – please call ahead to schedule a time for administration AND determine insurance coverage.

     Once eligibility has been confirmed, no prescription is necessary from your primary care provider. 

     All RSV vaccines are currently single-dose courses and there are no guidelines allowing for multiple or annual dosing.  If you have already received an RSV vaccine, you are up to date.

     While Medicare will cover RSV vaccines for all beneficiaries, coverage by non-Medicare insurance plans is not guaranteed.  Please plan accordingly.

ORAL ANTIVIRALS for COVID-19

The Federally-managed COVID-19 antiviral distribution program ended on 15 December 2023, and providers are no longer able to acquire these antivirals directly from the US Government’s stockpile.

Now that these antivirals are available on the commercial pharmaceutical market, Paxlovid and Lagevrio are approximately $1,500 and $1,000 per course, respectively; of that, insurance companies are recently reimbursing less than 50% of the cost of the drug.

As such, we are no longer stocking, ordering, or dispensing any oral COVID-19 antiviral medications.