AVAILABILITY AND STORAGE OF VACCINES IN COMMUNITY PHARMACIES

Abstract

Setting In populations with lower vaccination rates, social determinants of health contribute tovaccine inequality and increase the risk of consequences from infectious illnesses. The ability of pharmacists to prescribe and administer vaccinations has been granted in several countries, leading to an increase in immunization rates. On the other hand, little is known about how they identify and attack susceptible populations. Goal This research aims to explain the ways in which community pharmacies target disadvantaged populations. Techniques The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses procedures (PRISMA ScR) served as our inspiration for our August 2021 systematic search of the Embase and MEDLINE databases.
Articles targeting a vulnerable population and discussing any vaccination in the context of a community pharmacy in English, French, or Spanish were reviewed for inclusion. Outcomes 63 articles out of the 1039 that were found in the first search satisfied the inclusion
requirements. The majority of the literature (n = 54, 86%) came from North America and dealt with pneumococcal (n = 14, 22%), herpes zoster (n = 14, 22%), influenza (n = 29, 46%), or human papilloma virus immunization (n = 14, 22%). Age and pregnancy were the most often utilized lifecycle vulnerabilities (n = 48, 76%) to identify individuals at risk, followed by clinical variables (n = 18, 29%), socioeconomic determinants (n = 16, 25%), and regional vulnerabilities (n = 7, 11%). The strategies that were mentioned the
most were giving a strong recommendation for vaccination, distributing leaflet/bag stufers, making promotional posters in pharmacies, and offering staff training. Twenty-four obstacles and twenty-five enablers were identified. Effective advertising methods were linked to the primary obstacles faced by each vulnerable group. In summary Narrowing the definition of vulnerability is not as important to pharmacists as lifecycle and clinical vulnerability. In pharmacies, certain vulnerable populations are also not given enough attention. Pharmacies may use a broad range of promotional strategies to get beyond the unique obstacles that different groups face.