Stakeholder Perspectives

During my presentation, I was struck by how similar pharmacists are all over the world.  We are frontline providers of care for our patients, and often the most accessible point of care for individuals.

Pharmacists have a passion to serve patients and promote their wellbeing.  This puts pharmacists in virtually every country in the world in a highly visible position to advocate and administer immunizations.  Pharmacists have the knowledge to safely administer immunizations.  There are myriads of data to demonstrate this.

Additionally, we know that providing immunizations to at risk individuals is perhaps the single most cost-effective means to promote wellness and improve the quality of life and productivity of a population. 

Governments must recognize the impact that pharmacists could have on the health and economy of their countries through immunization and disease management programs.

Provision of immunizations should be considered a standard element of pharmacy practice in every country of the world.

A life-course approach to vaccination is the best approach for all.  Ending inequity to vaccines and vaccination across all ages must be at the forefront of conversations on health promotion and prevention. 

It is important to ensuring the best possible health, well being, function and quality of life for older adults and people of all ages.

Community pharmacists are vital to the improvement of uptake rates of vaccinations, and especially adult vaccination. Pharmacists must be prepared to partner with professional, patient and advocacy organisations in their advocacy efforts 

The link between vaccination services and the management of Non-Communicable Diseases in the community setting, including the promotion of adherence to treatments and a series of support services by pharmacists especially focusing on older adults. 

IFA and FIP are true collaborators and partners working to maintain and improve the health and well being of people of all ages create 

Vaccination throughout life is a cornerstone of public health and one of the most effective methods of preventing the spread of infectious disease. It saves not only millions of lives of healthy citizens as well as those most vulnerable, but also the livelihoods of tens of millions of families around the world.

Pharmacists are that rare profession making the connection between persons most at risk of vaccine preventable diseases, such as older people and those with chronic conditions. They listen, advise, and promote the importance of adherence to treatments, and provide a series of support services that inherently optimise a person’s functional ability.

Pharmacies play a key role in extending access points to vaccination services, particularly via extended hours and accessibility in rural areas where access to primary care providers may be more sparse (in the U.S. context)  

Pharmacists can also act as an additional educational resource for patients seeking vaccine information – ideally vaccine education in pharmacies can be tailored to be culturally appropriate for especially hard-to-reach groups, which is important from an equity perspective (i.e. providing additional interventions for populations that may have a higher need for vaccination / greater burden of disease) 

Barriers to pharmacy vaccination include financing and billing issues, scope of pharmacist vaccination authority, and occasional supply issues – stakeholders should address these issues to reduce barriers to pharmacy vaccination so pharmacists can continue to promote vaccine equity 

To address vaccine hesitancy, vaccine messaging must be harmonized across stakeholder groups and pharmacy orgs should be included in these stakeholder discussions early and often 

Pharmacists have long provided a significant contribution to the delivery of healthcare around the world through their expertise in medicine and medicines management. The addition of vaccination to the scope of practice for pharmacists has over decades, in many countries provide an opportunity to expand access to immunisation services in the community. Now, more than any time in the face of the COVID19 pandemic we see that contribution and the role of pharmacists in vaccine administration as more important than ever.

Investment in the training of students, qualified pharmacists (existing workforce) and technicians to provide vaccinations is paramount for the future of the profession. The addition of further skills in the administration of medicines, clinical skills in patient assessment and management and the value provided by the increasing involvement in these key public health and primary care activities is essential.

Every pharmacist can play a role in advocating with patients, the community and health services and political agencies to increase vaccination provision generally, but also for the role of pharmacists in this critical health activity. Pharmacists – you can!

Stakeholder Perspectives

Stakeholder Perspectives

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