Using Community Pharmacy Immunization Screening Forms to Identify Potential Immunization Opportunities.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Vaccinology
• Public Health

Background:

• Immunization screening forms are crucial for determining vaccine eligibility by assessing contraindications.
• Current use of these forms primarily focuses on identifying reasons *not* to vaccinate.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if patient responses on pharmacy immunization screening forms can identify potential *indications* for additional vaccines.
• To assess the feasibility of pharmacists proactively identifying immunization opportunities beyond contraindications.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective data collection from 8669 screening forms across 11 community pharmacies in California and Michigan.
• Analysis of de-identified patient demographics, screening answers, and administered vaccines.
• Application of Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations to forecast vaccine needs.

Main Results:

• 34.6% of patients may be indicated for both zoster and pneumococcal vaccines based on age (date of birth).
• 13.9% of patients showed a potential need for pneumococcal vaccines based on medical history questions.
• Screening forms identified significant patient populations eligible for additional vaccinations.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacy immunization screening forms can be effectively utilized to identify potential vaccine indications.
• Pharmacists can proactively enhance patient immunization status by leveraging screening forms for both contraindications and indications.
• This strategy supports improved public health through optimized vaccine uptake.