Knowledge and perceptions of French community pharmacists and pharmacy students about the papillomavirus vaccine

In a French context of low vaccination coverage for human papillomavirus (HPV) disease, we conducted a study on pharmacy students and community pharmacists to assess their self-reported knowledge about HPV infection and vaccination and their perceptions of vaccination.

A prospective volunteered-based study was conducted in the French Franche-Comté region based on a questionnaire targeting pharmacy students (from the 2nd to 6th years) and community pharmacists.

All in all, 220 students and 55 pharmacists completed a questionnaire. Fewer than a third knew which HPV genotypes are considered to be high-risk (p-value = 0.11) and were aware of the diversified nature of HPV-induced cancers (p-value = 0.02). Their overall level of general knowledge about vaccination was estimated to be good by 62% of students and 85% of pharmacists (p-value = 10^-3). More than 75% of students and pharmacists considered that HPV vaccination has a positive benefit-risk balance (p-value = 0.44) but that its low coverage is due to non-confirmed adverse events that were suggested in the past (p-value = 0.60). Pharmacists had a better perception of the safety of HPV vaccination (84% versus 64%, p-value = 6·10^-3). More than 50% of students and pharmacists agreed with mandatory HPV vaccination for girls and boys (11-14 years).

This study allowed us to assess the knowledge of students and community pharmacists and their more or less favorable perceptions of HPV vaccination. It helped us to suggest their needs in terms of practical training. Future changes should include pharmacists in the implementation of public health policies and to improve vaccination coverage.