The role of pharmacists in the delivery of influenza vaccinations (original) (raw)
Related papers
Influenza vaccination rates among pharmacists
Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 2010
Objectives: To quantify influenza vaccination rates and determine perceived barriers to influenza vaccination among U.S. pharmacists from various practice settings. Design: Prospective study. Setting: United States in 2008. Participants: 1,028 respondents, including 895 pharmacists. Intervention: A survey request was distributed manually at the 2008 National Community Pharmacists Association annual meeting, and an initial e-mail was sent with two follow-up e-mails to all pharmacists who receive e-mails via Pharmacist e-link. Main outcome measures: Vaccination rates and barriers to vaccination among pharmacists. Results: Pharmacists reported an influenza vaccination rate of 78%, with coverage varying across practice settings: hospital (88%), academia (86%), clinic (83%), and community (75%). Employers infrequently required the influenza vaccine as a condition of employment (7%), and slightly more than one-half (58%) compensated pharmacists for being vaccinated; both of these were significantly associated with higher influenza vaccination rates (P < 0.001 for both). One-quarter of pharmacists (26%) expressed at least one issue regarding the influenza vaccine. Pharmacists were significantly less likely to be vaccinated if they expressed a concern (91% vs. 43%, P < 0.0001). Community pharmacists were significantly less likely to be compensated for receiving the influenza vaccination and significantly more likely to express one or more concerns than pharmacists from any other practice setting. Conclusion: Pharmacists reported high influenza vaccination rates overall, with slight variability among practice settings. Although employers infrequently required influenza vaccination, approximately one-half of employers compensated their pharmacists for being vaccinated. Employer incentives and pharmacist attitudes were highly correlated with influenza vaccination.
CMAJ Open
V accination is the most effective mechanism to prevent influenza and the resultant morbidity, mortality, work absenteeism and lost productivity. 1-7 In 2000, Ontario introduced the Universal Influenza Immunization Program to provide influenza vaccine at no charge to all residents of the province aged 6 months or more through physicians' offices, public health clinics and workplaces. Although this strategy was effective in increasing overall influenza vaccine coverage, levels remained suboptimal. 8-10 In an effort to further improve vaccine coverage, the Universal Influenza Immunization Program was expanded in October 2012 to allow injection-certified pharmacists in community pharmacies to administer influenza vaccines to Ontarians aged 5 years or more. Most Ontario residents live within a short distance of a pharmacy (91% within 5 km and 65% within 800 m), 11 and 51% visit a pharmacy at least once per month. 12 In addition, pharmacists are available during extended evening and weekend hours, no appointments are necessary for many of their services, and they are available to people who do not have a primary care
Australian Health Review, 2020
Objective The aims of this study were to estimate the effect of pharmacists’ vaccinating for influenza on overall vaccination rates and to assess whether any effect differs for at-risk subgroups compared with the general population. Methods A systematic review was undertaken, adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Databases were searched during July 2019 and included Medline (Ovid), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Scopus and the Cochrane Library. Results The largest difference reported in overall population vaccination rates associated with pharmacists undertaking influenza vaccinations was an increase of 10%; the smallest showed no discernible effect. The effect was graduated: pharmacists with the most autonomy demonstrated the largest rate increases. There was evidence of substitution by pharmacists, but the effect size was small. Conclusions The effect of allowing pharmacists to ad...
Pharmacy patron perspectives of community pharmacist administered influenza vaccinations
Research in social & administrative pharmacy : RSAP, 2018
One approach to boost influenza vaccination coverage has been to expand immunization authority. In 2012, the province of Ontario gave community pharmacists the authority to administer the influenza vaccine. This study investigates the perspectives of Ontario pharmacy patrons, who had not recently received this vaccine from a pharmacist, regarding this pharmacist service. A survey was administered in six Ontario community pharmacies to pharmacy patrons who had not received an influenza vaccination from a pharmacist during the previous year. The instrument included questions about influenza vaccination, and knowledge of and attitudes toward vaccines and pharmacist-administered immunization. A total of 541 pharmacy patrons completed the survey (53.9% response rate). About one-third (30.5%) of respondents were not aware that pharmacists could give the influenza vaccine, with younger individuals being less likely to be aware (OR 0.48, 95% CI 0.29-0.77, p < 0.05) and less likely to rec...
Pharmacotherapy, 2001
To increase the rate of influenza vaccinations in high-risk patients by means of a pharmacist-managed immunization campaign. Design. Unblinded, single intervention. Setting. Rural primary care clinic. Patients. Six hundred fifty-seven patients at high risk for contracting influenza according to criteria established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Intervention. High-risk patients identified by chart review were mailed an education packet on influenza immunization. Vaccinations were given in specially designated clinics and during routine clinic visits. Campaign success and reasons why patients remained unvaccinated were determined by follow-up surveys. Measurements and Main Results. The influenza vaccination rate increased from 28% at baseline (before program initiation) to 54% after program initiation. Unvaccinated patients were younger and resided in more urban areas than vaccinated patients; vaccinated patients had a higher frequency of cardiovascular disease or diabetes mellitus. Vaccinated patients consistently identified the education packet and their health care providers as primary motivators for vaccination. Conclusion. Our pharmacist-managed vaccine program increased the influenza immunization rate in high-risk patients.
Flu Vaccinations in Pharmacies—A Review of Pharmacists Fighting Pandemics and Infectious Diseases
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020
The phenomenon of population ageing observed over recent years involves growing healthcare needs and the limited staffing and financing of healthcare systems, and as such demands some functional changes in the healthcare model in many countries. This situation is particularly significant in the face of a pandemic, e.g., flu, and currently COVID-19.As well as social education, preventive vaccinations are the most effective method of fighting the infectious diseases posing a special threat to seniors. Despite this, the vaccination coverage level in most European countries is relatively low. This is largely due to patients having limited access to vaccinations. In some countries, implementing vaccinations in pharmacies and by authorized pharmacists has significantly improved vaccination coverage rates and herd immunity, while lowering the cost of treating infections and the resulting complications, as well as minimizing the phenomenon of inappropriate antibiotic therapies. This article...
Biomedical Informatics Insights, 2017
Pharmacies have been endorsed as alternative vaccine delivery sites to improve vaccination rates through increased access to services. Our objective was to identify challenges and facilitators to adolescent and adult vaccination provision in pharmacy settings in the United States. We recruited 40 licensed pharmacists in states with different pharmacy vaccination laws. Eligible pharmacists previously administered or were currently administering human papillomavirus (HPV); tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (TDAP); or meningitis (meningococcal conjugate vaccine [MCV4]) vaccines to adolescents aged 9 to 17 years. Pharmacists participated in a semistructured survey on in-pharmacy vaccine provision. Pharmacists commonly administered vaccinations to age-eligible adolescents and adults: influenza (100%, 100%), pneumococcal (35%, 98%), TDAP (80%, 98%), MCV4 (60%, 78%), and HPV (45%, 53%). Common challenges included reimbursement/ insurance coverage (28%, 78%), education of patients/parents (30%, 40%), and pharmacists' time constraints (28%, 35%). Three-quarters of pharmacists reported that vaccination rates could be increased. National efforts should expand insurance coverage for vaccine administration reimbursement and improve data information systems to optimize provision within pharmacies.
Standing Orders in an Ambulatory Setting Increases Influenza Vaccine Usage in Older People
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2005
OBJECTIVES: To determine whether standing orders for influenza vaccine increase its usage in an ambulatory setting in elderly patients. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of influenza vaccine usage over 4 years (1999-2002). SETTING: University ambulatory setting. PARTICIPANTS: Overall, 912 elderly patients of two physicians who issued standing orders and 884 elderly patients of two physicians who did not do so constituted the study group. MEASUREMENTS: Physicians were categorized as to whether they issued a verbal or written standing order to their nurses to administer the influenza vaccine to patients aged 65 and older. Rates of influenza vaccination of patients whose physicians used standing orders were compared with those of physicians who did not use standing orders. RESULTS: Five hundred seventy-six (63%) patients of physicians who used standing orders received influenza vaccine, compared with 332 (38%) patients of physicians who did not use them (Po.001). Standing orders accounted for a significantly higher rate of influenza vaccination in each study year. Moreover, in 2001, when influenza vaccine delivery was delayed, physicians who used standing orders maintained their same rate of usage, but physicians who did not had rates of about one-half their usage of the other 3 years. CONCLUSION: More Medicare recipients received influenza vaccine when their physicians used standing orders for its administration than when their physicians did not. Influenza vaccine represents an important prevention modality that demands widespread implementation, and standing orders can increase its usage.
Central European Journal of Public Health, 2019
Objective: Our aim is to evaluate influenza vaccination rates among the elderly and individuals with underlying chronic disease, and factors that affect vaccination uptake. Methods: The study comprised individuals aged 18-65 years with underlying chronic diseases, and individuals aged over 65 years. Literaturebased questionnaires prepared by the researcher regarding vaccination were completed through face-to-face interviews by the principal investigator. Results: A total of 818 participants were included in the study, 257 (31.4%) were males. The mean age of participants was 57.47 ± 14.11 years; 274 (33.5%) were aged 65 years and over. One hundred and three (12.6%) participants stated that they received vaccinations against influenza annually, and 144 (17.6%) stated that they had vaccination against influenza in the 2015/16 or 2016/17 season. Fifty-two (19%) participants aged more than 65 years stated that they received vaccinations against influenza annually, 75 (27.4%) stated that they had vaccination against influenza in the 2015/16 or 2016/17 season. The most commonly determined reasons for not receiving vaccination were not knowing that it was necessary (34%) and believing that vaccination was not necessary because they were healthy (26%). Statistically significantly more participants who gained their knowledge from a physician were vaccinated than those whose knowledge came from other sources (p < 0.05). Participants who considered that they had sufficient information about influenza were vaccinated more frequently, the results were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Informing target risk groups about influenza vaccination by physicians and increasing awareness about influenza may contribute to increasing vaccination rates.
Impact of pharmacist administration of influenza vaccines on uptake in Canada
CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, 2016
Uptake of influenza vaccination in Canada remains suboptimal despite widespread public funding. To increase access, several provinces have implemented policies permitting pharmacists to administer influenza vaccines in community pharmacies. We examined the impact of such policies on the uptake of seasonal influenza vaccination in Canada. We pooled data from the 2007-2014 cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (n = 481 526). To determine the impact of influenza vaccine administration by pharmacists, we estimated the prevalence ratio for the association between the presence of a pharmacist policy and individual-level vaccine uptake using a modified Poisson regression model (dependent variable: vaccine uptake) with normalized weights while controlling for numerous health and sociodemographic factors. Across all survey cycles combined, 28.8% of respondents reported receiving a seasonal influenza vaccine during the 12 months before survey participation. Introduction of a policy f...