Table3.
Vaccination operations and communication procedures of U. S. pharmacies in eight states.
| Total (n = 40) |
|
|---|---|
| n (%) | |
| Methods of obtaining new vaccine recommendations* | |
| Pharmacy management or corporate notification | 29 (73) |
| CDC/ACIP recommendations | 8 (20) |
| Local/state government alerts | 6 (15) |
| Practice or professional society newsletter | 4 (10) |
| Other† | 4 (10) |
| Requires patients to present with prescription for HPV vaccination ‡ | |
| Yes | 2 (5) |
| No | 18 (47) |
| Depends on vaccine | 3 (8) |
| Required if outside of age range per state protocol | 13 (34) |
| All except flu vaccine | 3 (8) |
| Pharmacy requires minor permission or parental consent or both to immunize adolescents | |
| Yes, parental consent only | 27 (68) |
| Yes, both | 11 (28) |
| Yes, minor assent only | 1 (3) |
| Don’t know | 1 (3) |
| Methods utilized to obtain parental consent* | |
| Written consent document | 37 (97) |
| Verbal consent to pharmacist | 3 (8) |
| Electronic consent form | 1 (3) |
| Requires pharmacists be under collaborative practice agreement with clinical prescriber§ | |
| Yes | 38 (97) |
| Depends on vaccine | 1 (3) |
| Pharmacy provides patients with vaccination record to give to their provider | 36 (90) |
| Methods used to report vaccination records to primary care providers* | |
| Fax | 31 (78) |
| Electronic medical records | 7 (18) |
| Handled by corporate office of pharmacy | 2 (5) |
| Paper documentation given to patient | 1 (3) |
| None | 2 (5) |
| Utilizes state immunization information system | |
| Yes | 13 (33) |
| No | 19 (48) |
| Don’t know | 8 (20) |
| Procedures used for patient reminders of multiple-dose vaccines* | |
| Telephone reminders | 22 (55) |
| Mail reminders | 3 (8) |
| Email reminder | 1 (3) |
| Other | 5 (13) |
| None | 5 (13) |
| Don’t know | 10 (25) |
* Totals may exceed 100%, multiple answers possible
† Email, chart, phone application, district supervisor updates pharmacists every few weeks by tracking patient eligibility
‡ Two responses missing or not applicable (n = 38)
§ One missing response (n = 39)
Abbreviations: Human papillomavirus (HPV), United States (U.S.), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)