Objectives
COVID-19 has reinforced the need for pharmacist involvement to improve vaccination accessibility and rates in Germany. New legislation in March 2020 enabled model projects for influenza vaccination in German pharmacies, serving as a gateway for pharmacist-administration of other vaccines (e.g. COVID-19). The legislation demands a scientific evaluation of the model projects to decide on their inclusion in standard care. The first model project was initiated between the Pharmacists’ Association North Rhine and the health insurance company AOK Rhineland Hamburg in 2020. The authors were entrusted with the scientific evaluation to assess safety aspects and patient experience of influenza vaccination services in German pharmacies.
Methods
A patient questionnaire was developed. Patient survey results were collected and evaluated for the 2020/21 and 2021/22 influenza vaccination seasons.
Results
420 patients from 33 pharmacies (2020/21) and 1,371 patients from 127 pharmacies (2021/22) across North Rhine-Westphalia participated in this model project. The vaccination service convinced 12% (2020/21) and 14% (2021/22) of patients who would not have been vaccinated without the pharmacy-led service and a further 13% (2020/21) and 16% (2021/22) were unsure. In 2020/21, no adverse reactions occurred. Three mild incidents were recorded and professionally handled without consequences in 2021/22. Patient satisfaction with pharmacy-led vaccinations was high (99%, 2020/21; 100%, 2021/22). Almost all patients would get vaccinated again at the pharmacy (98%, 2020/21; 99%, 2021/22) and many would get vaccinated against other illnesses (78%, 2020/21; 98%, 2021/22).
Conclusions
The model project evaluation demonstrates that pharmacy-led influenza vaccinations increase the vaccination rate and expand vaccination coverage to people who otherwise would not have been vaccinated. This is due to low-threshold access, high level of trust in pharmacists’ competence and high levels of safety. These positive findings supported the decision to allow pharmacists to vaccinate against COVID-19 and include pharmacy vaccinations in German standard care.