Conversation with Merlin [email protected] · Mon Dec 11 2023

Importance of community pharmacists to enhance vaccination accessibility. answer these question in very detail

Community pharmacists play a crucial role in enhancing vaccination accessibility, and the importance of this role can be understood through several key points:

  1. Accessibility and Convenience: Community pharmacists offer a highly accessible healthcare touchpoint for the general public due to their widespread presence in various settings, from urban areas to rural locations. They often have extended hours compared to doctors’ offices, including weekends and evenings, which provides greater convenience for individuals who may have difficulty accessing healthcare services during regular business hours.

  2. Trust and Familiarity: Pharmacists are often well-known and trusted members of the community. People who may be hesitant to visit a doctor's office might feel more comfortable receiving vaccinations from a familiar pharmacist. This personal rapport can also help in addressing vaccine hesitancy through trusted advice and information.

  3. Reduced Healthcare System Burden: By providing vaccinations, community pharmacists can alleviate the workload on primary healthcare systems. They can administer vaccines quickly and efficiently, thereby reducing the pressure on doctors’ offices and clinics, especially during peak vaccination seasons or outbreaks.

  4. Targeting Vulnerable Populations: Studies have indicated that pharmacists prioritize certain vulnerabilities, such as age and pregnancy, and they use a variety of promotional strategies to reach vulnerable groups. This targeted approach can help increase vaccination rates among populations at a higher risk of infectious diseases.

  5. Overcoming Barriers to Vaccination: Community pharmacists can identify and work to overcome specific barriers that different groups face regarding vaccination. For example, lack of transportation, inflexible work hours, or unawareness of the need for vaccinations can be addressed on a local level by pharmacists who understand their community.

  6. Education and Advocacy: Pharmacists act as educators and advocates for vaccination. They can provide up-to-date information on vaccines, clear up misconceptions, and guide individuals through the process, including which vaccines are needed and when.

  7. Policy Support for Expanded Roles: Policies that allow pharmacists to prescribe and administer vaccines have been shown to increase vaccination uptake. Studies suggest when pharmacists are given these rights, vaccination rates improve partly due to the increased opportunities for vaccination encounters during pharmacy visits.

  8. Vaccine Equity: The presence of community pharmacists in underprivileged areas can help address vaccine equity issues. They are pivotal in reaching underserved populations who have historically lower vaccination rates.

  9. Monitoring and Reporting: Pharmacists are capable of tracking vaccine administration and outcomes, providing valuable data for public health monitoring. They can report side effects and also remind patients about subsequent doses, improving the overall vaccination series completion rate.

  10. Wide Range of Vaccines: Community pharmacies typically offer a variety of vaccines against common diseases like influenza, pneumococcal disease, herpes zoster, and in recent times, COVID-19, which allows individuals to receive multiple necessary vaccinations in a single visit.

The integration of community pharmacists into the broader public health vaccination strategy has clear benefits. Initiatives like training, overcoming logistical barriers like storage space, and collaborations with other healthcare professionals and public health agencies can further enhance the role of community pharmacists in vaccination accessibility and public health.

Research Open access Published: 23 September 2023 BMC Public Health volume23, Articlenumber:1855 (2023) Cite this article 1362 Accesses 10 Altmetric Metrics details AbstractContextSocial determinants of health are drivers of vaccine inequity and lead to higher risks of complications from infectious diseases in under vaccinated communities. In many countries, pharmacists have gained the rights to prescribe and administer vaccines, which contributes to improving vaccination rates. However, little is known on how they define and target vulnerable communities.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study is to describe how vulnerable communities are targeted in community pharmacies.MethodsWe performed a systematic search of the Embase and MEDLINE database in August 2021 inspired by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocols (PRISMA ScR). Articles in English, French or Spanish addressing any vaccine in a community pharmacy context and that target a population defined as vulnerable were screened for inclusion.ResultsA total of 1039 articles were identified through the initial search, and 63 articles met the inclusion criteria. Most of the literature originated from North America (n=54, 86%) and addressed influenza (n=29, 46%), pneumococcal (n=14, 22%), herpes zoster (n=14, 22%) or human papilloma virus vaccination (n=14, 22%). Lifecycle vulnerabilities (n=48, 76%) such as age and pregnancy were most often used to target vulnerable patients followed by clinical factors (n=18, 29%), socio-economical determinants (n=16, 25%) and geographical vulnerabilities (n=7, 11%). The most frequently listed strategy was providing a strong recommendation for vaccination, promotional posters in pharmacy, distributing leaflet/bag stuffers and providing staff training. A total of 24 barriers and 25 facilitators were identified. The main barriers associated to each vulnerable category were associated to effective promotional strategies to overcome them.ConclusionPharmacists prioritize lifecycle and clinical vulnerability at the expense of narrowing down the definition of vulnerability. Some vulnerable groups are also under targeted in pharmacies. A wide variety of promotional strategies are available to pharmacies to overcome the specific barriers experienced by various groups. Peer Review reports IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has shed light onvaccination discrepancy between and within countries as we had both the technical and financial means to vaccinate individuals of every country [1]. It is estimated that 234,00 deaths could have been prevented in the US between June 2021 and March 2022 with a primary series of vaccinations [2]. Low vaccination rates disproportionately affect communities commonly defined as vulnerable. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, infants from families with income below the poverty line are 30% less likely to receive the 7 recommended vaccines (measle-mumps-rubella, diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus, polio) for children aged 1935 months [3]. Revenue is not the only factor influencing access to vaccination. Vaccination underservice directly affects communities health; as Black, Indigenous and Hispanic individuals in comparison with non-Hispanic White individuals have higher influenza-related hospitalization rates [4]. Population health is directly linked to the upstream societal structures and institutions that shape communities, to the relationship between individuals and to health seeking behaviours [5]. Vulnerability to infectious diseases can be associated to individual characteristics (e.g. age, pregnancy, disease state, disability), to habits (e.g. sexual practices, use of alcohol, illicit drug use, travelling) or to wider determinants such as social status, physical environment or social support [6].In recent years, vaccination in community pharmacies is gaining momentum and may present a solution to reduce vaccine disparity. Pharmacists are recognized as accessible,

bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com

Journal List Hum Vaccin Immunother v.18(1); 2022 PMC8986174 Hum Vaccin Immunother. 2022; 18(1): 2016009. ABSTRACTProviding vaccination in community pharmacies could increase the vaccination coverage rate as well as help reducing the workload of the healthcare system. The current study was conducted to evaluate community pharmacists willingness and barriers to provide vaccination in community pharmacy setting. A validated questionnaire which included eight items to evaluate willingness and eleven items to evaluate the barriers to provide vaccines was distributed online. Binary logistic regression was conducted to explore the factors that are significantly associated with willingness and barriers to provide the vaccine. Among the 201 participating pharmacists, 174 (86.6%) had a high willingness level. Lack of authorization (91.6%), lack of collaboration with other healthcare professionals (85.6%), and lack of space for storage (74.1%) were the most recognized barriers to vaccinate. Pharmacists with BSc degree demonstrated less willingness (OR=0.18 (0.070.46), and increased barriers (OR=4.86 (1.5615.17) to provide the vaccine when compared with Pharm D and postgraduate pharmacists P <.01. Factors including male gender (OR: 6.10), working in chain pharmacy (OR: 8.98) and rural areas (OR: 4.31), moderate income (OR: 19.34) and less years of experience (OR:0.85) were significantly associated with increased barriers to provide the vaccine (P <.05). Despite the high willingness of the community pharmacists to vaccinate, several barriers were present. Enhancing pharmacists authorization and collaboration with other healthcare professionals and providing space for storage along with providing training courses and workshops should be considered to enhance pharmacists engagement in vaccination service.KEYWORDS: Vaccination, community pharmacists, willingness, barriers, JordanIntroductionAccording to the World Health Organization, vaccination has substantially decreased the burden of certain infectious diseases and was responsible for preventing nearly 2.5 million deaths annually.14 The incidence, prevalence, morbidity and mortality associated with vaccine-preventable diseases have considerably diminished since vaccinations became available.3,4 Despite the existence of efficacious vaccines, the burden of vaccine-preventable diseases is still an issue, and the potential health benefits of vaccination are not being achieved due to suboptimal vaccine-coverage rates for different age groups.5 After the emergence of COVID-19 pandemic, enormous challenges and threats were posed impact to the human lives and health systems globally.6,7 More than 200 million COVID-19 cases have been reported globally, from which more than 800000 cases were reported in Jordan. Furthermore, more than 4 million COVID-19 induced-deaths have been reported worldwide, from which more than 10000 deaths were reported in Jordan.8 Due to the high contiguity of COVID-19, preventative measures should be implemented to reduce its transmission such as lockdown, social distancing and vaccinations.9,10 Despite the seriousness of the disease and its ability to spread rapidly, people still have low readiness for getting the COVID-19 vaccines.11,12Community pharmacists are perceived as a highly qualified and accessible professional group.13 Providing vaccination in community pharmacies, not only for COVID19, but also for any other infectious disease, could increase the vaccination coverage rate and help reducing the workload of the health-care system.14 Earlier studies reported that only half of the community pharmacists were willing to provide vaccination services in Canada and Saudi Arabia.15,16 Furthermore, several barriers to provide vaccination in the community pharmacy setting are reported in the literature. An earlier Saudi study showed that lack of training, lack of patients demand, lack of private area to provide vaccines and lack of reimbursement were the barriers for vacc

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

US Pharm. 2023;48(10):34-38. ABSTRACT: Immunization is one of the most cost-effective measures for the prevention of infectious disease. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act amendments expanded the authority of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and interns to administer vaccines, bringing attention to the professions role in this area. Laws regarding pharmacist authority are state-determined, so pharmacists must keep abreast of the current regulations in their state. Despite the accessibility of community pharmacies and widespread vaccine availability, vaccination rates continue to be suboptimal. Pharmacists are well positioned to identify patients who would benefit from vaccinations; they can also provide education, screening, and documentation, and they can be instrumental in allaying concerns by counseling patients and caregivers in making the best-informed choice. Immunization is one of the most cost-effective measures for preventing infectious disease. The COVID-19 pandemic provided evidence of the vital role of pharmacists in delivering this preventative health measure. During the pandemic, amendments to the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act expanded the authority of pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and interns to administer vaccines, bringing attention to the professions role in this area.1 Most of the U.S. population resides within 5 miles of a pharmacy, enabling access to vaccines and other healthcare services that pharmacists provide.2 Despite the widespread availability of vaccines, vaccination rates remain suboptimal owing to the lack of patient education, especially in underserved communities, along with inconsistencies in state laws governing administration by pharmacists. Pharmacists have proven to be qualified providers, advocates, and educators and have a major role in promoting the importance of immunizations. Government policies that allow pharmacists to administer all Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)recommended, FDA-approved vaccines are essential. These policies must include vaccine accessibility for all patients, along with appropriate reimbursement, allowing pharmacists to continue to play a key role in this initiative.3 Pharmacists involvement in immunization began with distribution of the smallpox vaccine in the 1800s, and the first formalized training for vaccine administration by pharmacists was in 1994.4,5 In November 1996, the American Pharmacists Association initiated its vaccine certificate program for pharmacists, which continues to be used by numerous colleges of pharmacy and other organizations.4,5 This program educates participants on topics such as basic immunology, vaccine-preventable diseases, implementation of vaccine delivery into practice, regulatory and legal issues, strategies for improving immunization rates, and administration techniques.6 Pharmacists immunization practices are also expanding to include the supervision of pharmacy technicians in administering vaccines. Prior to the 2020 PREP Act, which authorized trained pharmacy technicians to administer some immunizations, several states had enacted legislation to allow trained and qualified pharmacy technicians to administer vaccinations.7 At least 11 training programs that focus on vaccine-administration techniques for pharmacy technicians are currently available.7 Although pharmacists are well positioned to administer vaccinations, they are underutilized; some of the barriers include variances in state laws, collaborative protocol requirements, pharmacy staffing limitations, and health plan payment restrictions.3 Vaccines as Preventative Care Vaccines are one of the most cost-effective measures for protection against certain diseases, and it is estimated that they save 2.5 million lives annually.3 The ACIP recommends vaccination against a variety of infectious diseases for U.S. adults and children. Immunization schedules should always be checke

uspharmacist.com