Pharmacists as Immunizers

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Pharmacists as Immunizers

• Health Care Systems
• Group 7
• 10/05/2005
• Dawn Wasik Kim Chu
• Erin Blair Jeremy German
• Ben Smith Hiren Patel
• Jennifer Leverett

2
Overview

• States allowing pharmacists to immunize
• The Pharmacists Role
• Training
• Benefits
• Concerns
• Conclusions

3
Case Study

• Kaitlin Pharmacist
• Moved from FL to GA
• FL does not allow Pharmacists to immunize, GA
  does
• Reciprocated her license

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States Allowing Pharmacists to Immunize

• 43 states allow pharmacists to provide
  immunizations as of 09/2005
• Some states allow Pharmacy Interns to immunize
  under Pharmacist supervision
• Only some require interns to be certified
• Search state boards of pharmacy for individual
  state rules

Available at www.aphanet.org. Accessed on
9/14/2005.
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States Allowing Pharmacists to Immunize

• NY is 1 of 7 states not allowing pharmacists to
  immunize
• 2004 PSSNY Bills of Interest Legislative Inserts
• Public health officials in New York and
  nationally at the Centers for Disease Control
  support pharmacists as immunizers
• Nationally in 2004, 4,000 pharmacists authorized
  to immunize administered more than 500,000 doses
  of vaccine to adults. States where immunizing
  pharmacists placed vaccine orders did not
  experience the same degree of vaccine shortage as
  states such as New York
• Immunization rates for adults in New York are
  statistically near the bottom when compared to
  other states. We rank 40th for flu and 46th for
  pneumococcal. Minority populations fare even
  worse. Pharmacists in minority neighborhoods who
  are allowed to immunize can make a considerable
  difference in the health of New Yorkers

Available at http//www.pssny.org/documents/Legis
lative_Info/2005_Talking_Points.pdf. Accessed on
9/15/2005.
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States Allowing Pharmacists to Immunize

• GA does allow pharmacists to immunize
• You MUST be certified
• Must work under a protocol

Dr. E. Evans, South University. 9/26/2005
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States Allowing Pharmacists to Immunize
Available at www.immunize.org/laws/pharmmap.pdf.
Accessed on 9/13/2005.
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Pharmaceutical Care

• Pharmaceutical care is the responsible provision
  of drug therapy for the purpose of achieving
  definite outcomes that improve a patient's
  quality of life.
• Administering vaccinations are related to the
  outcomes of pharmaceutical care
• cure of a disease
• elimination or reduction of a patient's
  symptomatology
• slowing of a disease process
• prevention of a disease
• Administering a vaccination could take about as
  long as filling a Rx!
• Movie

Available at http//www.napra.org/docs/0/586/725
/730.asp. Accessed on 9/13/2005.
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Pharmacists Role in Immunizations

• Focus of health care shifting toward prevention
• Pharmacists are thought to be the most accessible
  health care provider to the public
• Pharmacists vaccinating provides convenience to
  patient physician
• Vaccination opens communication concerning other
  beneficial services, such as patient counseling

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Pharmacists Role in Immunizations

• Prevention- Immunizer
• Education
• - patient education
• Collaboration - contact with physicians

Available at http//www.ascp.com/public/pr/immuni
zation/index.shtml. Accessed on 9/12/2005.
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Prevention

• Pharmacists should focus their immunization
  efforts on influenza, pneumococcal, and hepatitis
  B infections
• Pharmacists should routinely determine the
  immunization status of patients
• Pharmacists should identify high-risk patients in
  need of targeted vaccines and develop an
  appropriate immunization schedule
• Pharmacists should be appropriately immunized
  themselves

Available at http//www.aphanet.org/pharmcare/imm
guide.html. Accessed on 9/12/2005.
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Education

• Patients should be educated on the risks and
  benefits of immunizations
• Pharmacists can educate patients about the
  importance of keeping track of immunization and
  medication records
• for themselves and for other family members
• can provide patients with these documentation
  materials
• Pharmacists may be able to provide patients with
  additional take-home materials
• including information about clinics or local
  health departments where they can follow up for
  vaccinations if necessary

Available at http//www.ascp.com/public/pr/guidel
ines/immu.shtml. Accessed on 9/13/2005. Available
at http//www.ashpadvantage.com/immune/opportunit
ies.htm. Accessed on 9/13/2005.
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Collaboration

• Pharmacists should support immunization advocacy
  goals and other educational programs
• Pharmacists should collaborate with physicians
• consult with and report immunization delivery to
  primary-care providers
• Report adverse events following immunization to
  any appropriate primary-care provider and to the
  Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)

Available at http//www.aphanet.org/pharmcare/imm
guide.htm. Accessed on 9/12/2005.
Available at http//www.ascp.com/public/pr/guidel
ines/immu.shtm. Accessed on 9/11/2005.
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Immunization Training

• APhA- Pharmacy-based Immunization Delivery
  Certificate Program
• Self Study and Training Seminar
• CDC- You Call the Shots Online Training
• Interactive Online Training
• Elective Class by Dr. E. Evans
• Limited to 30 people (first come, first serve)
• Will be licensed at end of course

Available at http//www.aphanet.org/pharmcare/Pro
gramDescriptionOverview.pdf. Accessed on
9/14/2005. Available at www.cdc.gov/nip/ed/youca
lltheshots.htm. Accessed on 9/13/2005.
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Benefits to Pharmacists

• Increases Rx volume
• Improves relationships with other health care
  providers
• Increases job satisfaction
• Increases OTC drug sales

Available at http//www.findarticles.com/p/articl
es/mi_m3374/is_8_26/ai_n6082164/print. Accessed
on 9/10/2005.
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Concerns For Pharmacists

• Compromise patient safety
• Adverse reactions, Lack of emergency training
• Lack of confidential setting for administration
• Legality/Accountability issues
• Availability of time

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Conclusions

• As awareness in prevention increases, the role of
  a pharmacist will continue to expand. Due to
  the pharmacist and patient relationship,
  immunizations in the pharmacy are likely to
  increase. As pharmacies gain recognition as a
  site for immunizations, the need for pharmacists
  will increase.

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• For more Information please refer to Group 7s
  brochure Pharmacists as Immunizers A
  Supplemental Guide
• Visit our Webpage at http//bellsouthpwp2.net/b/e
  /benpsmith

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Questions