Q&A: Pharmacists’ Role as the Most Accessible Vaccine Providers

Amid a fast-approaching respiratory virus season, and the ongoing National Immunization Awareness Month celebrated throughout August, the time for keeping a closer eye on common infectious diseases is here. From independent community pharmacies to larger chains like Walgreens, pharmacists are ramping up to continue the trend of setting themselves apart from other providers when it comes to boosting vaccine uptake and counseling patients’ vaccine regimens.

“Health care is local, and so are pharmacies. Our pharmacists are deeply embedded in their communities and have long-standing relationships with many of their patients,” Samantha Picking, PharmD, senior director of immunizations at Walgreens, told Drug Topics. “At Walgreens, we strive to be that most convenient and accessible place, especially to get recommended vaccines.”

Aside from discussing Walgreens’ initiatives and approaches to boosting vaccine uptake among its communities, Picking also highlighted the pivotal role pharmacists have played, and will continue to play, regarding vaccines for infectious disease and more. With trust, access, and knowledge being at the heart of pharmacists’ immunization skills, Picking believes her peers will continue to show why pharmacies are the most ideal health care destinations for receiving vaccines.

Picking discussed the continued success pharmacists have demonstrated when administering immunizations. | image credit: Louis Beauchet / stock.adobe.com

Read along to gain insights from Picking’s expertise in the immunization space, and stay tuned as she shares further knowledge on specifically vaccinating during respiratory virus season and so much more.

READ MORE: Community Pharmacy’s Pivotal Role in Boosting Immunization Rates

Drug Topics: Why do you think pharmacists have risen as the most ideal providers to administer vaccines?

Samantha Picking: Pharmacists have been giving immunizations for over 20 years now. The COVID pandemic is really what accelerated that and showed what pharmacists can do when it comes to community health. Health care is local, and so are pharmacies. Our pharmacists are deeply embedded in their communities and have long-standing relationships with many of their patients. I know I remember all of my patients personally, and you develop those relationships, and you really trust each other. Americans actually visit their local pharmacies twice as often as other health care providers. Often, it's where most people turn to first for health care advice. Pharmacists are on the front lines helping ensure the health and safety of communities and really have been for decades.

At Walgreens, we strive to be that most convenient and accessible place, especially to get recommended vaccines. We make it easy to check off the list. It's a busy time of year, especially when flu vaccines are available. I know me, I have 3 little kids, so [we make] sure we can get the full family in to get our vaccines. It can be tough, but Walgreens can be that convenient option because patients can walk into their local pharmacy, they can schedule an appointment in advance by calling, visiting the website, in the app. We have a long history of serving as that reliable, trusted source for health care information and really don't intend to stop now.

I encourage anyone with questions about vaccines to feel like they can talk to their local pharmacists. They're highly trained health care providers qualified to counsel patients on which vaccines are best for them based on their medical history and on the latest guidelines.

Drug Topics: What more can pharmacists and the pharmacies they work for be doing to boost vaccine uptake and promote the importance of receiving routine immunizations?

Samantha Picking: This is where pharmacy teams play a big role. As pharmacists, we're not just administering vaccines, we're listening to patients, addressing their concerns, and then providing evidence-based guidance every day. A good example of this is during the recent measles outbreaks. We quickly activated our pharmacy teams, ensuring that they were prepared to support their patients in Texas and other hotspots to educate and administer MMR vaccines. Walgreens nearly doubled MMR vaccine administration in the first part of the year, and that was including a nearly 250% increase in Texas communities most impacted by outbreaks and more than quadruple increases in New Mexico and Colorado.

At Walgreens, we're committed to being that most convenient and accessible place to receive a recommended vaccine and also care and advice around vaccinations. We've played this role for decades [and] don't intend to stop now. Our pharmacists are highly educated, confident, and trained in having these conversations. This season, education, access, and trust will be more important than ever, and our pharmacy team members already are playing that key role.

READ MORE: National Immunization Awareness Month Resource Center

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