The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) took immediate action after it learned about a vaccine provider potentially mishandling 890 doses of Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, requesting the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy open an investigation. SpecialtyRX, a vaccine provider in Columbus that is not part of the federal Long-Term Care Pharmacy Partnership program, was given 1,500 vaccines to vaccinate residents at eight long-term care facilities before the new year. After administering the first doses, SpecialtyRX had 890 doses remaining. The company was exploring a transfer of the doses to another provider when it was discovered that they had failed to appropriately monitor temperatures in their refrigerator and freezer. ODH requires all COVID-19 vaccine providers to check and record the minimum and maximum temperatures of cold storage refrigerators and/or freezers each workday. ODH immunization Program launched an investigative process upon learning of the failure of temperature monitoring and determined that the 890 doses were not viable.
