[Immunization program against influenza for adults 65 years or older at a community pharmacy in Puerto Rico]

Abstract

Evaluate the educational needs of adults over 65 years or more with regards to the vaccine, vaccination and immunization against the influenza, design strategies to assist the educational needs and implant and evaluate an immunization program at an independent community pharmacy. A study divided into three phases: Phase I--evaluation of the educational needs related to the vaccine, vaccination and immunization. Phase II--designing of strategies to assist the needs. Phase III--a random longitudinal controlled study to evaluate an immunization program against the influenza implanted at an independent community pharmacy. One hundred (100) patients participated, randomly assigned to a controlled and experimental group. Three months into the study's Phase III, a 68% of the experimental group had been vaccinated and showed a tendency to improvement in knowledge; in the controlled group, a 32% had been vaccinated and did not show a tendency in improvement of knowledge. A year into the study's Phase III, a 76% of the experimental group had been vaccinated and 24% of the controlled group was vaccinated. The satisfaction average of the experimental group towards the pharmacist was 3.94 +/- 0.18 and, in the controlled group was 3.98 +/- 0.20, whiting a scale of 0-04. People who participated in an educational activity offered by a pharmacist showed: more knowledge, remembered what they learned and an increase in influenza vaccination.