Community Pharmacist-Administered COVID-19 Vaccinations: A Pilot Customer Survey on Satisfaction and Motivation to Get Vaccinated

Abstract

In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Swiss health authorities approved and ordered two mRNA vaccines in 2021. The canton of Zurich was the second in Switzerland to allow community pharmacists to administer the COVID-19 mRNA Vaccine Moderna to the adult population. We aimed to pilot a customer satisfaction questionnaire regarding COVID-19 vaccinations in Zurich pharmacies. Questions focused on satisfaction with different aspects of the service, motivation for getting the vaccination, and reasons for being vaccinated in a pharmacy. Zurich pharmacies administered 68,169 COVID-19 doses until June 2021, and 421 questionnaires were filled. Respondents’ mean age was 43.5 (±13.2) years, with 42.3% reporting being women and 46.1% being men. Of the 372 complete questionnaires, 98.7% of the respondents would have recommended the service to others. High levels of satisfaction were reported concerning pre-vaccination discussion (98.9%), pharmacies’ information level on COVID-19 vaccines (98.9%), general comfort with receiving the vaccination in a pharmacy (99.5%), injection technique (99.2%), and premises used (98.1%). Most respondents (57.3%) would have had the option of another vaccination provider, but the pharmacies were chosen for their opening hours, ease of access, and perceived trust. The availability of pharmacist-administered services may be an important contributor to a successful vaccination programme in Switzerland.

COVID-19 vaccinations in German pharmacies: A survey on patient and provider satisfaction

“…Another aspect was to receive information on existing barriers and facilitators from the providers’ view. Sampling sizes of Stämpfli et al (n=421) and Burt et al (n= 436) were comparable to this study (n=427) [10] , [17] . The demographic distribution showed that all age groups accepted pharmacies as vaccination settings with no differences in perception.…”

“…It was conducted as an evaluation of the very early phase of COVID-19 vaccinations in pharmacies and was intended to provide insight into facilitators and barriers, which could be modified to optimize outcomes later on. Studies by Stämpfli et al, Burt et al and Sepp et al on influenza vaccinations and by Stämpfli et al on COVID-19 vaccinations in Switzerland followed a similar approach and inspired this survey [10] , [16] , [17] , [18] . Whereas Stämpfli et al focused on healthcare outcomes, Burt et al investigated marketing aspects.…”

“…A recent survey found that pharmacies are regarded as ideal vaccination settings by the population [8] . However, by spring 2021 only few jurisdictions in Europe permitted pharmacists to conduct COVID-19 vaccinations [1] , [9] , [10] , [11] , [12] . Moreover, there is a sometimes shameful controversy among healthcare providers on who is eligible to provide vaccinations and who is not, instead of reaching out for higher vaccination rates [13] , [14] .…”

Assessment of Satisfaction with Pharmacist-Administered COVID-19 Vaccinations in France: PharmaCoVax

“…This study revealed that 98.7% of respondents would recommend the service and that respondents had a high satisfaction level for all areas of their experience. Furthermore, as in our study, ease of access and perceived trust were two factors respondents strongly agreed with [ 21 ].…”

Pre-Vaccination Stress, Post-Vaccination Adverse Reactions, and Attitudes towards Vaccination after Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine among Health Care Workers

“…Moreover, an important motivation for the large group of respondents to our study was a general risk reduction and the prospective possibility of lifting personal restrictions. This factor was also very significant among those vaccinated in the 30–55 age group in Switzerland [ 49 ].…”