Impact of pharmacist-led vaccine assessment and patient counseling on unmet vaccination needs in the community pharmacy setting

Objective

Community pharmacists play an important role in administering vaccines, and a vaccine assessment form (VAF) can be incorporated into the workflow of a community pharmacy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of implementing a VAF combined with pharmacist-led patient counseling on unmet vaccination needs in a community pharmacy setting.

Methods

The VAF was a pre-existing questionnaire developed by Walgreen Co (Deerfield, IL) based on the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Inclusion criteria were English-speaking patients older than 18 years who visited the pharmacy for at least one vaccine during a 6-month period and completed the VAF. Five pharmacists provided immunization education, determined unmet vaccination needs, and provided individualized patient counseling. Five outcomes were documented: (1) the number of unmet vaccination needs identified, (2) vaccines received in the same visit at the pharmacy, (3) a vaccination appointment for a later date at the pharmacy, (4) a referral was made, and (5) refusal by patients for further action. Descriptive statistics and phi coefficients were used for data analysis.

Results

A total of 133 patients visited the pharmacy to receive at least one vaccine and completed the VAF. Pharmacists identified 126 unmet vaccination needs, and the most common ones were for influenza, Tdap, PPSV23, and herpes zoster. The most common outcome was referrals, and the most common reason for delaying a vaccine was cost. Phi coefficients indicated statistically significant associations between identified unmet vaccination needs and referrals across vaccine types.

Conclusion

A VAF combined with pharmacist-led patient counseling addressed unmet vaccination needs. In addition, pharmacists made referrals to close immunization gaps.