Pharmacy-based immunization: a systematic review

Abstract

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has prompted the exploration of new response strategies for such health contingencies in the near future. Over the last 15 years, several pharmacy-based immunization (PBI) strategies have emerged seeking to exploit the potential of pharmacies as immunization, medication sale, and rapid test centers. However, the participation of pharmacies during the last pandemic was very uneven from one country to another, suggesting a lack of consensus on the definition of their roles and gaps between the literature and practice.PurposeThis study aimed to consolidate the current state of the literature on PBI, document its progress over time, and identify the gaps not yet addressed. Moreover, this study seeks to (i) provide new researchers with an overview of the studies on PBI and (ii) to inform both public health and private organization managers on the range of possible immunization models and strategies.MethodologyA systematic review of scientific qualitative and quantitative studies on the most important scientific databases was conducted. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyzes guidelines were followed. Finally, this study discusses the trends, challenges, and limitations on the existing literature on PBI.FindingsMust studies concluded that PBI is a beneficial strategy for the population, particularly in terms of accessibility and territorial equity. However, the effectiveness of PBI is affected by the economic, political, and/or social context of the region. The collaboration between the public (government and health departments) and private (various pharmacy chains) sectors contributes to PBI's success.OriginalityUnlike previous literature reviews on PBI that compiled qualitative and statistical studies, this study reviewed studies proposing mathematical optimization methods to approach PBI.

Pharmacy-Based Influenza Vaccination: A Study of Patient Acceptance in Romania

“… 21 Due to their widespread presence, pharmacies offer more territorial equity than other healthcare facilities, mainly benefiting residents in underserved or hard-to-reach areas. 22 Romanian context shows territorial disparities, especially among urban and rural areas, 23 leading to significant inequalities in healthcare quality among different populations. 24 , 25…”

“…21 Due to their widespread presence, pharmacies offer more territorial equity than other healthcare facilities, mainly benefiting residents in underserved or hard-to-reach areas. 22 Romanian context shows territorial disparities, especially among urban and rural areas, 23 leading to significant inequalities in healthcare quality among different populations. 24,25 The study underscores convenience and accessibility as the most commonly cited reasons for receiving vaccinations at community pharmacies, suggesting that pharmacists can contribute significantly to the influenza vaccination targets set by the Ministry of Health.…”

Pharmacy-based immunization services: Expanding access and improving public health

“…The longitudinal cohort study (Table 1) contributes treasured temporal insights into the sustained effect of pharmacyprimarily based immunization services (Romero-Mancilla et al, 2023) [19] . The progressive increase in immunization fees from 75% in 2020 to 88% in 2022 indicates a nice fashion and implies the ability for long-term fulfillment and integration of these services into ordinary healthcare practices.…”

Norwegian Community Pharmacists’ Experiences with COVID-19 Vaccination—A Qualitative Interview Study

“…COVID-19 vaccination began as a pilot service. While some studies have examined pharmacists' experiences with general vaccination [9][10][11][12], little is known about their experiences with COVID-19 vaccination during this initial period. Therefore, this study interviewed pharmacists participating in the pilot pharmacy COVID-19 vaccination program with the aim to learn about their experiences piloting a new service during this unique period.…”