Another is the ability to access a primary care provider and obtain a prescription in the first place. Around Virginia, about 3.8 million people lack a primary care provider nearby, according to a recent Virginia Commonwealth University study. Last week, two primary care facilities and an urgent care facility operating under Augusta Health announced their closures in Shenandoah Valley. While some of those patients need to travel only about 10 minutes away to other clinics, others will have to go farther, and face an additional barrier to their health care. This offers flexibility for health care providers and pharmacists to provide the vaccine.