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

M. Kroemer (1, 2) , A.L. Clairet (1, 2) , K. Kabiche (2) , A. Bendjama (2) , X. Bertrand (3, 2) , S. Limat (4, 1, 2) , V. Nerich (1, 2)

1 RIGHT - Interactions hôte-greffon-tumeur, ingénierie cellulaire et génique - UFC (UMR INSERM 1098)
2 CHRU Besançon - Centre Hospitalier Régional Universitaire de Besançon
3 LCE - Laboratoire Chrono-environnement (UMR 6249)
4 UBFC - Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté [COMUE]

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-Comté 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-Comté regarding the influenza vaccination done at community pharmacies, given the proviso that they were given relevant training and allocated adequate resources.

Mots clés: Community pharmacist; Health; Patient care; Vaccination

Domaines: Médecine humaine et pathologie; Microbiologie et Parasitologie; Sciences pharmaceutiques

M. Kroemer, A.L. Clairet, K. Kabiche, A. Bendjama, X. Bertrand, et al.. Influenza vaccination coverage at community pharmacies: Positioning, needs, expectations and involvement of community pharmacists in the Franche-Comté region. Infectious Diseases Now, 2021, 51 (3), pp.285-289. ⟨10.1016/j.medmal.2020.10.012⟩. ⟨hal-03356569⟩