Leveraging Black pharmacists to promote equity in COVID‐19 vaccine uptake within Black communities: A framework for researchers and clinicians

Abstract

Black Americans are disproportionately represented among coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19)‐related morbidities and mortalities. While the COVID‐19 vaccines are positioned to change this disparity, vaccine hesitancy, attributed to decades of systemic racism and mistreatment by the United States health care system, heavily exists among this racially and ethnically minoritized group. In addition, social determinants of health within Black communities including the lack of health care access and inequitable COVID‐19 vaccine allocation, further impacts vaccine uptake. Black pharmacists have worked to address the pandemic's deleterious effects that have been recognized within Black communities, as they are intimately aware of the structural and systematic limitations that contribute to lower vaccination rates in comparison to other racial and ethnic groups. Black pharmacists have been integral to promoting equity in COVID‐19 uptake within Black communities by disseminating factual, trustworthy information in collaboration with community leaders, advocating for the equitable access to the immunizations into vulnerable areas, and creating, low‐barrier, options to distribute the vaccines. Herein, we thoroughly explain these points and offer a framework that describes the role of Black pharmacists in narrowing vaccine equity gaps.

Understanding Low Vaccine Uptake in the Context of Public Health in High-Income Countries: A Scoping Review

“…Abdul-Mutakabbir et al [ 66 ] initiated a multi-tiered community approach to be effective, whereby faith leaders engaged with the academic community to disseminate COVID-19 information, culturally representative healthcare professionals delivered educational webinars, and used low barrier access sites, to target back communities; Peteet et al [ 80 ], also found an increase in willingness to get vaccinated after a webinar.…”

“…Black pharmacists, for example, recognize the structural and systemic issues that have contributed to the lower vaccination rates in Black communities. By collaborating with community leaders to disseminate evidenced-based information and by advocating and working to increase vaccine access, they can actively work to reduce vaccine inequities [ 66 ]. Furthermore, more effective therapeutic relationships and improved healthcare occur with racial concordance, which emphasizes the importance of racial diversity in healthcare as well as cultural humility [ 130 ].…”

Pharmacoequity and the clinical pharmacist: Why not us, why not now!

“…Finally, there is evidence that racially concordant care between healthcare providers and patients has been associated with improvements in patient communication, which can have implications on medication adherence and health literacy. In this issue of JACCP , Abdul‐Mutakabbir and colleagues highlight this in their inspiring work on the role of Black pharmacists and COVID‐19 vaccination efforts in the Black community 11 . Building upon this concept, we consider it prudent for pharmacy schools and pharmacy residency programs to be thoughtful to consider whether their program demographics are consistent with the community and patient population they serve.…”

“…In this issue of JACCP, Abdul-Mutakabbir and colleagues highlight this in their inspiring work on the role of Black pharmacists and COVID-19 vaccination efforts in the Black community. 11 Building upon this concept, we consider it prudent for pharmacy schools and pharmacy residency programs to be thoughtful to consider whether their program demographics are consistent with the community and patient population they serve.…”