More Pharmacists Positioned to Protect Public Health by Expanding Immunization Services During Flu Season

September 2, 2010 1:15 PM

Originally published in the September 2010 NABP Newsletter

New state legislation, new state board of pharmacy regulations, and expanded continuing education offerings in several states have empowered more pharmacists to offer immunization services during the 2010-2011 influenza season. A survey conducted by the North Carolina Association of Pharmacists Immunization Task Force indicates that more than 57% of pharmacists in that state would support a rule authorizing pharmacists to administer all types of vaccinations, and more than 45% find it important to expand the scope of vaccinations as well as lower the age of patients to whom pharmacists may administer vaccinations. Such legislation was developed in several states in the wake of the 2009-2010 pandemic H1N1 alert and will now position pharmacists to help meet the high vaccination demand likely to occur in the 2010-2011 influenza season.

On February 24, 2010, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) advised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that all people aged six months and older should receive the seasonal influenza vaccination this fall. A CDC press release noted that the recommendation signals the importance of preventing influenza across the entire population and that more influenza vaccine doses will be required to vaccinate all adults. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the seasonal vaccine, which includes protection against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, on February 22, 2010. As was the case last year, pharmacists’ immunization services will help to meet the increased need for administration of these vaccines.

New State Laws and Regulations

In Kentucky, for example, a new law authorizes the governor to grant pharmacists emergency authority during a declared state of emergency. Under this law, pharmacists could be authorized, in emergency situations, to administer immunizations to children pursuant to protocols established by the CDC, the National Institutes of Health, or ACIP, or as determined by the commissioner of public health.

An additional new law in Kentucky specifies that pharmacists may administer immunizations to patients 14 to 17 years of age pursuant to prescriber-approved protocols, with the consent of a parent or guardian, and upon request of an individual or his or her parent or guardian providing notification of the immunization to the individual’s primary care provider. Both Kentucky laws went into effect July 15, 2010. The previous statute authorized pharmacists to immunize individuals over age 18 pursuant to prescriber-approved protocols and to individuals younger than age 18 pursuant to a prescription from an authorized prescriber for a specific patient.

A new law expanding pharmacists’ immunization roles was also adopted in Louisiana, where last year an emergency order and protocol from the state health officer authorized Louisiana Board of Pharmacy-certified pharmacists to administer the H1N1 influenza vaccine if they followed the established government protocol. Effective August 15, 2010, Louisiana pharmacists may administer influenza immunizations to patients age seven and older without a prescription or medical order if the vaccines are administered in conformance with the most current protocol. The law also includes reporting and record keeping requirements and requires pharmacists to obtain the appropriate credential to administer influenza immunizations from the Board.

Immunization Continuing Education

In other states, expanded continuing education programs are preparing pharmacists to meet state board of pharmacy requirements to become qualified to immunize patients. An American Pharmacists Association (APhA) certificate training program, “Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery,” was delivered to pharmacists in Michigan in July 2010, and in Tennessee in August 2010. The program was designed to meet relevant state regulations and prepare pharmacists to administer vaccines before the upcoming flu season.

Similarly, in Oklahoma, the University of Oklahoma College of Pharmacy offered a June 2010 seminar on Adult Immunization Training to prepare pharmacists in Oklahoma to administer vaccines.

In Maine, where the board of pharmacy issued rules in November 2009 to implement the new pharmacist immunization law, an immunization training program will be offered to pharmacists on September 11, 2010, by the Maine Pharmacy Association.

Additional Resources

The CDC press release summarizing the ACIP and FDA recommendations pertaining to the 2010-2011 influenza vaccine is available for download.

On October 15, 2010, the CDC will begin updating its FluView Influenza Surveillance Report Web page.

APhA maintains a Pharmacist Immunization Center with links to multiple resources on the APhA Web site.