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Effect of pharmacist intervention on herpes zoster vaccination in community pharmacies
Junling Wang1, Lindsay J Ford, La'Marcus Wingate
1College of Pharmacy, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA. jwang26@uthsc.edu
Objective:
To evaluate the effectiveness of community pharmacy-based interventions in increasing vaccination rates for the herpes zoster vaccine.
Design:
Prospective intervention study with a pre-post design.
Setting:
Three independent community pharmacies in Tennessee, from December 2007 to June 2008.
Patients:
Patients whose pharmacy profiles indicated that they were eligible for the vaccine and patients presenting to receive the vaccine at study sites.
Intervention:
Pharmacists promoted the herpes zoster vaccine through a press release published in local newspapers, a flyer accompanying each prescription dispensed at participating pharmacies, and a personalized letter mailed to patients whose pharmacy profiles indicated that they were eligible for the vaccine.
Main Outcome Measures:
Comparison of vaccination rates for the herpes zoster vaccine during the control and intervention periods and patients' indication for their sources of education and influence in receiving the vaccine.
Results:
Vaccination rates increased from 0.37% (n = 59 of 16,121) during the control period to 1.20% (n = 193 of 16,062) during the intervention period ( P < 0.0001). Cochran-Armitage trend analyses, including the months before and after the interventions, confirmed a significantly higher vaccination rate during the intervention month than other months analyzed. More patients indicated that they were educated about the herpes zoster vaccine by one of the pharmacist-driven interventions than by a physician, family/friend, or other source during the intervention period ( P < 0.0001 for all comparisons). Also, more patients were influenced to receive the vaccination as a result of one of the pharmacist-driven interventions than influenced by a physician ( P = 0.0260) or other source ( P < 0.0001). No difference in the effectiveness of patient influence was found when the pharmacy interventions were compared with family/friends ( P = 0.1025).
Conclusion:
Three pharmacist-driven interventions were effective in increasing vaccination rates for the herpes zoster vaccine.
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