Tips and Tricks for Pharmacists to Ensure Vaccination Adherence

EP: 1.Epidemiology and High-Risk Populations for Pneumococcal Disease

EP: 2.Comparing Pneumococcal Vaccines and CDC Recommendations for Adults

EP: 3.Updated Evidence-Based Recommendations for Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccines

EP: 4.Pharmacist’s Guide: Choosing the Most Appropriate Pneumococcal Vaccine for Patients

EP: 5.Risk vs. Benefit of Pneumococcal Vaccines: Shared Clinical Decision-Making for Patients and Pharmacists

EP: 6.Pneumococcal Vaccine Patient Education: What Pharmacists Should Know and Share

EP: 7.Building Patient Trust: Identifying Patients Eligible for Pneumococcal Vaccination

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EP: 8.Tips and Tricks for Pharmacists to Ensure Vaccination Adherence

EP: 9.Evolving Perspectives on Pneumococcal Vaccination Across Adult Populations

Tips and Tricks for Pharmacists to Ensure Vaccination Adherence Summary

Effective documentation and follow-up practices are essential for ensuring complete pneumococcal vaccination series, beginning with determining whether patients require additional vaccines based on their initial immunization. Patients receiving PCV-20 or PCV-21 typically require no follow-up vaccines and are considered complete, with the notable exception of PCV-21 recipients in areas with high serotype 4 risk (such as Alaska) who should receive PCV-20. However, patients receiving PCV-13, PCV-15, or PPSV-23 will likely need additional doses at intervals ranging from 8 weeks to 5 years, depending on the specific vaccine, patient age, medical conditions, and timing considerations. The PneumoRex app remains crucial for navigating these complex follow-up requirements and ensuring appropriate vaccine sequencing.

Systematic follow-up strategies include scheduling subsequent appointments while patients are present in the pharmacy, implementing text messaging or phone call reminder systems, and helping patients add vaccination appointments to their personal device calendars. Some pharmacy computer systems allow for queuing vaccine prescriptions to process automatically when the next dose becomes due, providing an automated reminder system. State immunization information systems and registries are increasingly supporting adult vaccination tracking, with some offering alert systems or report generation capabilities for identifying patients due for follow-up doses. These technological solutions help prevent missed opportunities for completing vaccination series.

Patient engagement and documentation sharing play critical roles in vaccination adherence, with pharmacists working collaboratively with patients to determine preferred communication methods, whether electronic, paper-based, or alternative formats. Providing patients with personal vaccination records empowers them to participate actively in their healthcare while ensuring continuity across different providers. Pharmacists must comply with state requirements for sharing and requesting vaccination information while maintaining patient privacy. The three key takeaways for successful pneumococcal vaccination programs include implementing age-based recommendations starting at 50 years, maintaining risk-based assessments for adults aged 19-49 years, and consistently utilizing the PneumoRex Vax Advisor app to navigate the complex and evolving vaccination guidelines effectively.