Pharmacy and Immunization Services: Pharmacists' Participation and Impact

Individual- and Neighborhood-Level Characteristics Associated with Support of In-Pharmacy Vaccination among ESAP-Registered Pharmacies: Pharmacists’ Role in Reducing Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Influenza Vaccinations in New York City

“…15 Our study found no difference between chain and independent pharmacists' support, which could be due to the larger proportion of independent pharmacies in our sample. Using random digit dial surveys to evaluate the ESAP program, we found that independent pharmacies accounted for between 28% and 43% of pharmacies in NYC between 2000 and 2003.…”

“…This is consistent with a previous national finding that pharmacists were willing to counsel and promote vaccines. 15 Specifically, we found that individual pharmacy staff demographics and pharmacy characteristics were not important in predicting vaccination support. Instead, support for in-pharmacy vaccination was associated with support for expansion of other in-pharmacy services including HIV testing.…”

“…In a randomly selected national sample of pharmacists, Kamal and Maine (2003) found that staff position was important in predicting immunization administration; owner/manager pharmacists were more likely than chief and staff pharmacists to administer and counsel about adult immunizations. 15 Our data indicated that staff position was not significantly associated with vaccination support, but because our analysis included pharmacy technicians (who cannot administer immunizations under NYS law), we conducted sub-analysis removing pharmacy technicians from the dataset (data not shown), and the association remained unchanged.…”

“…In a randomly selected national sample of pharmacists, Kamal and Maine (2003) found that staff position was important in predicting immunization administration; owner/manager pharmacists were more likely than chief and staff pharmacists to administer and counsel about adult immunizations. 15 Our data indicated that staff position was not significantly associated with vaccination support, but because our analysis included pharmacy technicians (who cannot administer immunizations under NYS law), we conducted sub-analysis removing pharmacy technicians from the dataset (data not shown), and the association remained unchanged. While technicians likely have no influence on vaccination policy, we included them in the results presented because they are vital to the vaccination delivery process as they are on the front line of the pharmacy and likely influence (1) patient/customer comfort, (2) information patients/customers receive on vaccination, and (3) willingness of the patient/customer to be vaccinated in the pharmacy.…”

Incorporating an Immunization Course in the Pharmacy Curriculum: Malaysian Experience

“…1,3 In the United States, 49 states have granted authority to pharmacists to immunize people, and pharmacists can play an important role in disease prevention by advocating and administering immunizations. [4][5][6] While pharmacists in Malaysia are not authorized to immunize people, they can promote immunization through several types of activities: history and screening, patient counseling, documentation, administrative measures, and public education and reminders.…”