ASHP Statement on the Pharmacist’s Role in Public Health

Pharmacists play a vital role in maintaining and promoting public health. All pharmacists have a responsibility to participate in global, national, state, regional, and institutional efforts to promote public health and to integrate the goals of those initiatives into their practices.

Furthermore, pharmacists have a responsibility to work with public health planners to ensure their involvement in public health policy decision-making and in the planning, development, and implementation of public health efforts.

Optimising vaccination through coadministration of influenza and COVID-19 vaccines: Guidance for pharmacists (2022)

This new guidance for pharmacists explores how vaccination strategies for two important respiratory conditions — COVID-19 and influenza — can and should be considered together and combined in an effective and impactful way to improve uptake rates for each vaccine.

Vaccines & special-risk groups: Cardiovascular diseases (French translation)

Vaccination is one of the most effective measures to prevent disease transmission and protect populations from a variety of diseases that heavily impact individuals and health systems. Overall, through the provision of person-centred pharmaceutical services, pharmacists play a key role ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing, as well as promoting more effective, rational, and widespread use of vaccines. Among the different special-risk population groups for vaccine-preventable diseases, people living with cardiovascular diseases have particular vaccination needs that will be highlighted at this event.

Learning objectives:
By the end of the session participants should be able to:
• Understand the risks that this particular population group is exposed to with regards to vaccine-preventable diseases, as well as the benefits of being vaccinated
• Understand the main recommended vaccines for people living with cardiovascular diseases
• Discuss the role of pharmacists in supporting health literacy and vaccination of this special risk group

Moderator:
– Renly Lim, FIP YPG Immediate Past President, Research Fellow University of South Australia, Australia

Panellists:
– Alvaro Sosa Liprandi, President Interamerican Society of Cardiology, Argentina
– Tolulope Osigbesan, Senior Policy and Advocacy Officer NCD Alliance, Switzerland
– John D. Grabenstein, RPh, PhD, Director of Scientific Communications Immunize.org, USA

Vaccines & special-risk groups: Cardiovascular diseases

Moderator:
– Renly Lim, FIP YPG Immediate Past President, Research Fellow University of South Australia, Australia

Regional challenges and enablers to leveraging pharmacists as vaccinators

FIP organised in February and March 2022 a series of six regional roundtables with some of its member organisations and other key stakeholders from each region. These events were codeveloped and led by the FIP Forum of Professional Regulators and identified the drivers and barriers to the implementation of pharmacist-led vaccination in each region. In particular, they discussed the existing
challenges to interprofessional understanding, cooperation and task sharing in the area of vaccination.
Discussion topics included the regulatory authority granted to different healthcare professionals to prescribe and administer vaccines and the plans for the management of anti-COVID-19 vaccination in a post-pandemic scenario.

The FIP vaccination reference guide. Knowledge and skills to support professional development and inform pharmacy education in vaccination (2022)

Pharmacists in many parts of the world play key roles in public health, including vaccination-related services. As
established advocates, educators and qualified providers of vaccines, pharmacists have a significant role in promoting
and supporting the uptake and monitoring of vaccination. Their roles include raising awareness of the benefits of
vaccination and improving immunisation coverage. To successfully deliver these important roles, pharmacists need to
obtain the required knowledge and skills in the area of vaccination.

“FIP vaccination reference guide: Knowledge and skills in pharmacy education and professional development” is
developed by FIP for educators and academic institutions, practitioners and professional organisations, and
policymakers. The reference guide outlines the knowledge and skills that should be acquired by students during their
undergraduate pharmacy education, and expands into the knowledge and skills that should be obtained by pharmacists
through professional development and training.

Vaccines & special-risk groups: Chronic Respiratory Conditions (French translation)

La vaccination est l’une des mesures les plus efficaces pour prévenir la transmission des maladies et protéger les populations contre une variété de maladies qui ont un impact important sur les individus et les systèmes de santé. Globalement, en fournissant des services pharmaceutiques centrés sur la personne, les pharmaciens jouent un rôle clé pour garantir une vie saine et promouvoir le bien-être, ainsi que pour favoriser une utilisation plus efficace, rationnelle et généralisée des vaccins. Parmi les différents groupes de population à risque, les personnes vivant avec une affection respiratoire chronique ont des besoins spécifiques en matière de vaccination qui seront discutés lors de cet événement.

À la fin de la session, les participants devraient être en mesure de :

-Comprendre les risques auxquels ce groupe de population particulier est exposé en ce qui concerne les maladies évitables par la vaccination, ainsi que les avantages d’être vacciné.
-Comprendre les principaux vaccins recommandés pour les personnes vivant avec des maladies respiratoires chroniques.
-Discuter du rôle des pharmaciens dans l’éducation à la santé et la vaccination de ce groupe à risque particulier.

Modérateur :
-Peter Guthrey, membre du comité exécutif de la section de la pharmacie sociale et administrative de la FIP ; pharmaciens seniors – politique stratégique The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia – Australie

Panélistes :
-Ema Paulino, Président de l’Association Nationale des Pharmacies, Portugal (ANF), Portugal
Fiona Mosgrove, médecin généraliste NHS Grampian, Royaume-Uni.
-Carmen Baldonedo Mosteiro, pharmacien communautaire. Membre du groupe de travail sur les maladies respiratoires de la Société espagnole de pharmacie communautaire (SEFAC), Société espagnole de pharmacie clinique, familiale et communautaire (SEFAC), Espagne.

Vaccines & special-risk groups: Chronic Respiratory Conditions

Vaccination is one of the most effective measures to prevent disease transmission and protect populations from a variety of diseases that heavily impact individuals and health systems. Overall, through the provision of person-centred pharmaceutical services, pharmacists play a key role ensuring healthy lives and promoting wellbeing, as well as promoting more effective, rational, and widespread use of vaccines. Among the different special-risk population groups, people living with chronic respiratory conditions have specific vaccination needs that will be discussed in this event.

By the end of the session participants should be able to:

-Understand the risks that this particular population group is exposed to with regards to vaccine-preventable diseases, as well as the benefits of being vaccinated
-Understand the main recommended vaccines for people living with chronic respiratory diseases
-Discuss the role of pharmacists in supporting health literacy and vaccination of this special risk group

Moderator:
-Peter Guthrey, Executive Committee Member of the Social and Administrative Pharmacy Section of FIP; Senior pharmacists – strategic policy The Pharmaceutical Society of Australia - Australia

Panelists:
-Ema Paulino,  President  National Association of Pharmacies, Portugal (ANF), Portugal
-Fiona Mosgrove, General Practitioner NHS Grampian, UK
-Carmen Baldonedo Mosteiro, Community Pharmacist. Member of the Respiratory task force of the Spanish Society of community Pharmacy (SEFAC), Spanish society of clinical, familiar and community Pharmacy (SEFAC), Spain

The role of community pharmacies in COVID-19 booster vaccination: Opportunities and supply chain challenges in a post-pandemic scenario

Around the world, community pharmacies play an increasingly consolidated role in vaccination. During the pandemic, pharmacies’ accessibility made them a convenient place for vaccination against COVID-19 in several countries, increasing vaccination coverage and helping achieve herd immunity. As the world slowly begins to emerge from the pandemic, this event will discuss the role of community pharmacies in COVID-19 booster vaccination, and their challenges in vaccine supply logistics and cold storage solutions, particularly in a post-pandemic scenario. Key interventions by community pharmacists in vaccine supply logistics linked to COVID-19 from different parts of the world will be presented.

Learning objectives:

1. Understand the supply chain and distribution process of COVID-19 vaccines from manufacturer to hospitals, community pharmacies, and the public;

2. Explore the role of community pharmacies in vaccine supply logistics for COVID-19;

3. Discuss the challenges of COVID-19 booster vaccination supply logistics and cold storage solutions in community pharmacies, particularly in a post-pandemic scenario;

4. Explore supply models that involve community pharmacies contributing to population vaccination coverage in a post-pandemic scenario.

Moderator:
– Catherine Duggan, Chief Executive Officer FIP, the Netherlands

Panellists:
– Vibhu Paudyal, Associate Professor in Clinical Pharmacy University of Birmingham, UK
– Ronald T. Piervincenzi, Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer USP, USA
– Loganathan Fahrni, Senior lecturer and pharmacist Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia

Advocating for the role of pharmacists in diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis booster, COVID-19, and meningococcal meningitis vaccinations

The importance of vaccines creates opportunities for pharmacists and pharmacies to contribute to improving vaccination coverage. Since the publication of FIP’s 2020 report on vaccinations highlighting the role of pharmacists and pharmacies in this area, there has been a significant expansion in pharmacy-based vaccination and the scope of vaccines delivered by pharmacists and the pharmacy workforce. To kick off World Immunisation Week, this digital event will provide an overview of that expansion for tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis booster, COVID-19, and meningitis vaccines. Moreover, it will allow participants to hear from countries in various stages of advocating for a broader role for pharmacists in vaccination.

Learning objectives:

To identify the current role of the pharmacist in tetanus, diphtheria, acellular pertussis booster, COVID vaccination, and meningococcal meningitis vaccination.
To explore needs, drivers, and barriers for expanding that role in countries that have regulated pharmacy-based vaccination services.
To give examples from countries with pharmacy-based vaccination services in advocating a broader role for pharmacists in vaccination

Moderators:

– Ian Bates, Director of the FIP Global Pharmaceutical Observatory, Chair of pharmacy education, University College London, United Kingdom

– Manjiri Gharat, FIP Vice-President, India

Panellists:

– Carine Wolf-Thal, Chair of the National Council of the French Chamber of Pharmacists, French Chamber of Pharmacists, France

– Zhi Shan Sujata, Pharmacist, Malaysian Pharmacists Society, Malaysia

–  Sham Moodley, Pharmacist,  Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa/Independent Community Pharmacy Assoc, South Africa

– Zeid Kilani, President, Jordan Pharmacists Association, Jordan

– Mas Rahman Roestan, Operational Director of PT Biofarma and Expert Council of Indonesian Pharmacists Association, Indonesian Pharmacists Association, Indonesia

– Irma Beatriz Caponi, Farmacéutica, COFA, Argentina

Facilitators & Speakers:

– Christopher John, FIP Lead for Data and Intelligence, UK

– Zheng Kang Lum, PhD candidate, National University of Singapore, Singapore

– Allie Jo Shipman, Director, State Policy, National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations, USA

– Sherly Meilianti, FIP Data and Intelligence Specialist, Indonesia

ASHP Statement on the Pharmacist’s Role in Public Health

Page: Vaccination