Influenza vaccination coverage at community pharmacies: Positioning, needs, expectations and involvement of community pharmacists in the Franche-Comte region

Introduction: Influenza vaccination coverage currently remains below the 75% recommended threshold by the World Health Organization. To correct this situation, experiments have been successively carried out in France to enable community pharmacists to vaccinate at-risk populations. In this context, a study was conducted with pharmacists from the French Franche-Comte region to evaluate their positioning, needs and expectations regarding influenza vaccination at community pharmacies. Materials and methods: A survey was created and sent to licensed pharmacists in March of 2018. This consisted of 4 parts: characteristics of the community pharmacy; positioning of the pharmacist regarding vaccinations carried out at the pharmacy; training needs and expectations; and willingness to implement vaccinations. Results: The participation rate in this survey was 32% (137/427). More than 90% of the pharmacists agreed that community pharmacies' assets were adequate for the implementation of these vaccinations (accessibility and availability), although 52% considered this complicated. Their main fears were reluctance from patients and conflicts of interest with other health professionals authorized to vaccinate (58%). The needs and expectations regarding pharmacy student training were essential for 94% of them as well as continuous training of practicing pharmacists (96%). The willingness of pharmacists to vaccinate stemmed from the fact that influenza vaccination coverage would increase for at-risk subjects (36%). Conclusion: This survey allowed us to assess the favorable positioning and the real interest of pharmacists from Franche-Comte regarding the influenza vaccination done at community pharmacies, given the proviso that they were given relevant training and allocated adequate resources. (C) 2020 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The survey revealed that pharmacists believed community pharmacies had adequate resources for influenza vaccination, although some found the process complicated. Their main concerns included patient hesitancy and conflicts of interest with other healthcare professionals. Pharmacists emphasized the importance of training for pharmacy students and continuing education, as well as their willingness to increase influenza vaccination coverage for at-risk populations through vaccination.