Wolves on the Frontlines: Pharmacist Darby Coxhead '12 Vaccinates Local Residents
As the world fights the COVID-19 pandemic, Wesleyan graduates around the globe are working in various fields supporting this effort. In the coming weeks and months, we will profile alumni working directly in the battle against COVID-19. If you or an alumnus you know are directly involved in this work, please contact communications@wesleyanschool.org.
With the news in December that COVID vaccinations were granted emergency use authorization, pharmacists nationwide began to prepare for when they’d be a part of the fight against the pandemic. Darby Coxhead ’12 was one of those pharmacists, and she has eagerly anticipated the day when the long-awaited vaccinations would arrive at the Publix pharmacy where she works.
With the news in December that COVID vaccinations were granted emergency use authorization, pharmacists nationwide began to prepare for when they’d be a part of the fight against the pandemic. Darby Coxhead ’12 was one of those pharmacists, and she has eagerly anticipated the day when the long-awaited vaccinations would arrive at the Publix pharmacy where she works.
“Publix started offering the COVID vaccine to the community at the beginning of January,” says Darby. “It was and still is an evolving process. The state decides which stores get the vaccine and when, so there is a lot of unpredictability there. Once a store gets the vaccine, the appointments open online for people to apply. With such a high demand, these appointments get booked in about 30 min.”
Darby and her colleagues are vaccinating approximately 50 customers daily at their location. Vaccine recipients must meet the state-managed criteria for eligibility.
“Giving the COVID vaccine was something that I knew would eventually hit the retail pharmacy setting, but now, it is surreal that the vaccine is actually here and came so quickly,” Darby continues. “I love that, through my job, I am able to offer immunizations in a convenient way to the community. Interacting with and vaccinating individuals has been encouraging to see how much this means to them and creating more comfort in the pandemic.”
Growing up with an eye on healthcare, Darby knew she wanted to serve her community in some area of medicine. “Towards the end of high school, I became more aware of the career as a pharmacist,” she says. “It combined medical knowledge, patient interaction, and offering a service where I felt like I was helping others. I love many things about being a pharmacist but getting to vaccinate people is one aspect I really enjoy!”
After graduating from Wesleyan, Darby attended the University of Georgia for both her undergraduate degree and pharmacy school. She currently lives in metro Atlanta, and you can find her at the Publix in Cumming.
As the world fights the COVID-19 pandemic, Wesleyan graduates around the globe are working in various fields supporting this effort. In the coming weeks and months, we will profile alumni working directly in the battle against COVID-19. If you or an alumnus you know are directly involved in this work, please contact communications@wesleyanschool.org.
