A new global intelligence report from the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP), has given the most extensive and representative overview of how the role of pharmacists in vaccination has evolved to date. The report, Leveraging pharmacy to deliver life-course vaccination, was published recently.
The report is based on a new survey of 73 countries and integrates evidence gathered by the Federation in 2016, 2019/20 and 2022, providing a comprehensive picture across 120 countries and territories.
“Pharmacy-based vaccination is now authorised in at least 56 countries, with 22 countries identified as allowing these services since 2020. Immunisation against vaccine-preventable communicable diseases not only reduces morbidity and mortality, it decreases pressure on healthcare systems. It is an important contributor to universal health coverage,” said Prof Ian Bates, Director, FIP Global Pharmaceutical Observatory.
The new report from FIP presents findings on a variety of pharmacist-led immunisation schemes, including advocacy activities, regulatory frameworks, vaccine administration and prescribing, training and certification, maintenance of vaccination records, reimbursement for vaccination services, and public satisfaction, as well as highlighting challenges to service expansion. The report is accompanied by a global online atlas offering users an interactive means of exploring the progress and status of pharmacists’ roles in vaccination services.
The report highlights, for example, that in 26 countries (49 per cent), pharmacists are now authorised to prescribe certain vaccines for administration, compared with only seven countries in 2020. In addition, 64 countries reported access to vaccination training for pharmacists, compared with 12 in 2016. “This work is part of the ongoing FIP vaccination surveillance project, which aims to monitor pharmaceutical public health roles in immunisation programmes. This is essential for providing the evidence needed to support FIP members and lobby for an expanded role of pharmacists in vaccination,” Prof Bates said.
