Administrative Shifts in Vaccine Guidance and What Pharmacists Need to Know

Between notable shifts in COVID-19 vaccine recommendations, as well as removal of many universal vaccines from US schedules, there is significant uncertainty surrounding the future of vaccine access. Furthermore, with the COVID-19 vaccine leading the way in mRNA technology, experts are skeptic regarding what the vaccine landscape may look like in the near- to long-term future.

“Pharmacists understand there's an important distinction between a formal market removal and practical access,” Jeff Goad, PharmD, MPH, president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases, told Drug Topics. “The more realistic concern is probably not the sudden market withdrawal, but a progressive narrowing of indications, recommendations, or payer coverage, which really can effectively reduce access and uptake, even without an official removal of the vaccine.”

In this episode of Over the Counter, Goad helped us to better understand the current administrative approach toward vaccines that has stemmed from the federal government. On top of these updates and what has been ongoing in the COVID-19 and mRNA vaccine space, Goad explored how these unprecedented changes will impact pharmacy operations as well as patient access.

Learn from a pharmacy and infectious disease expert’s perspective regarding the real-time evolution of vaccine policy in the US.

“Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to translate evidence into patient decisions, but that role is only effective when policy signals are consistent, when they are evidence-based, and when they are clearly communicated,” he concluded.

Stay tuned for weekly podcast episodes of Over the Counter powered by Drug Topics. Check out our most recent episode with Timothy Aungst, PharmD, Ravi Patel, PharmD, MBA, MS, and Smit Patel, PharmD. They gathered to discuss emerging trends in direct-to-patient pharmacy models and the future of digital health.

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