Impact of Community Pharmacy Vaccination Services on Respiratory Vaccine Coverage of Patients Taking Immunosuppressive Medications in Quebec, Canada.

IF 0.7 Q4 PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY
Journal of Research in Pharmacy Practice Pub Date : 2025-04-24 eCollection Date: 2024-10-01 DOI:10.4103/jrpp.jrpp_7_25
Mandana Moradi, Daniel J G Thirion
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective: Immunocompromised patients are at increased risk of bacterial and viral respiratory infections and related complications. Available vaccines against these infections are the most effective tools in preventing complications. Community pharmacist vaccination service is evolving in many countries, and they could present an opportunity to improve vaccination coverage in this population. This study aims to describe how community pharmacists are involved in vaccinating high-risk (immunocompromised) populations.

Methods: This retrospective study included vaccination information of patients who received chronic immunosuppressive therapy among those who were taking selected chronic medications from community pharmacies in Montreal, Canada, from January 2020 to September 2023. Immunosuppressive therapy was categorized as either corticosteroids or immunosuppressive drugs or the combination of corticosteroids with one or two immunosuppressive drugs. Data were available from all private pharmacies through the Quebec Association of Pharmacists Owners database. Descriptive statistics are used for data analysis.

Findings: Of the total number of 4,114,528 patients who were taking selected chronic medications from community pharmacies, 611,789 (14.8%) were taking immunosuppressives. Prednisone/prednisolone was the most commonly administered drug in this population (345,744 [8.4%]). Most of these patients are aged over 50 years (484,827 [79.2%]). A total of 409,171 (66.8%) co-administered at least one other drug. The vaccination rate was highest for influenza (142,877 [23.3%]) and lowest (23,532 [3.8%]) with the pneumococcus vaccine. Patients younger than 25 had the lowest vaccination rate with three respiratory vaccines. Vaccination rate decreased after the pandemic with all three vaccines in our study population.

Conclusion: Vaccination rates of patients taking chronic immunosuppressive drugs in community pharmacies are low. These rates are worse than rates for other high-risk groups from the same database. This represents a missed opportunity for pharmacists to encourage this high-risk population to vaccinate proactively.

加拿大魁北克省社区药房疫苗接种服务对服用免疫抑制药物患者呼吸道疫苗覆盖率的影响
目的:免疫功能低下患者发生细菌和病毒呼吸道感染及相关并发症的风险增加。针对这些感染的现有疫苗是预防并发症的最有效工具。社区药剂师疫苗接种服务在许多国家正在发展,他们可以提供一个机会,以提高这一人群的疫苗接种覆盖率。本研究旨在描述社区药剂师如何参与高危(免疫功能低下)人群的疫苗接种。方法:本回顾性研究纳入了2020年1月至2023年9月在加拿大蒙特利尔社区药房接受慢性免疫抑制治疗的患者的疫苗接种信息。免疫抑制疗法分为皮质类固醇或免疫抑制药物,或皮质类固醇与一种或两种免疫抑制药物联合使用。数据可通过魁北克药剂师协会数据库从所有私人药房获得。描述性统计用于数据分析。结果:在社区药房选择慢性药物的4114,528例患者中,611,789例(14.8%)使用免疫抑制剂。强的松/泼尼松是该人群中最常用的药物(345,744例[8.4%])。其中以50岁以上患者居多(484827例[79.2%])。共有409171人(66.8%)同时服用至少一种其他药物。流感疫苗接种率最高(142,877[23.3%]),肺炎球菌疫苗接种率最低(23,532[3.8%])。25岁以下的患者接种三种呼吸道疫苗的接种率最低。在我们的研究人群中,大流行后所有三种疫苗的接种率都有所下降。结论:社区药房慢性免疫抑制药物接种率低。这些比率比同一数据库中其他高危人群的比率还要低。这意味着药剂师错过了鼓励这一高危人群主动接种疫苗的机会。
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来源期刊
Journal of Research in Pharmacy Practice
Journal of Research in Pharmacy Practice PHARMACOLOGY & PHARMACY-
自引率
0.00%
发文量
8
审稿时长
21 weeks
期刊介绍: The main focus of the journal will be on evidence-based drug-related medical researches (with clinical pharmacists’ intervention or documentation), particularly in the Eastern Mediterranean region. However, a wide range of closely related issues will be also covered. These will include clinical studies in the field of pharmaceutical care, reporting adverse drug reactions and human medical toxicology, pharmaco-epidemiology and toxico-epidemiology (poisoning epidemiology), social aspects of pharmacy practice, pharmacy education and economic evaluations of treatment protocols (e.g. cost-effectiveness studies). Local reports of medication utilization studies at hospital or pharmacy levels will only be considered for peer-review process only if they have a new and useful message for the international pharmacy practice professionals and readers.
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