Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Multicenter Study
. 2013 Jan-Feb;53(1):46-53.
doi: 10.1331/JAPhA.2013.12019.

Effect of pharmacist intervention on herpes zoster vaccination in community pharmacies

Junling Wang  1 , Lindsay J Ford, La'Marcus Wingate, Sarah Frank Uroza, Nina Jaber, Cindy T Smith, Richard Randolph, Steve Lane, Stephan L Foster
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Effect of pharmacist intervention on herpes zoster vaccination in community pharmacies

Junling Wang et al. J Am Pharm Assoc (2003). 2013 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of community pharmacy-based interventions in increasing vaccination rates for the herpes zoster vaccine.

Design: Prospective intervention study with a pre-post design.

Setting: Three independent community pharmacies in Tennessee, from December 2007 to June 2008.

Patients: Patients whose pharmacy profiles indicated that they were eligible for the vaccine and patients presenting to receive the vaccine at study sites.

Intervention: Pharmacists promoted the herpes zoster vaccine through a press release published in local newspapers, a flyer accompanying each prescription dispensed at participating pharmacies, and a personalized letter mailed to patients whose pharmacy profiles indicated that they were eligible for the vaccine.

Main outcome measures: Comparison of vaccination rates for the herpes zoster vaccine during the control and intervention periods and patients' indication for their sources of education and influence in receiving the vaccine.

Results: Vaccination rates increased from 0.37% (n = 59 of 16,121) during the control period to 1.20% (n = 193 of 16,062) during the intervention period ( P < 0.0001). Cochran-Armitage trend analyses, including the months before and after the interventions, confirmed a significantly higher vaccination rate during the intervention month than other months analyzed. More patients indicated that they were educated about the herpes zoster vaccine by one of the pharmacist-driven interventions than by a physician, family/friend, or other source during the intervention period ( P < 0.0001 for all comparisons). Also, more patients were influenced to receive the vaccination as a result of one of the pharmacist-driven interventions than influenced by a physician ( P = 0.0260) or other source ( P < 0.0001). No difference in the effectiveness of patient influence was found when the pharmacy interventions were compared with family/friends ( P = 0.1025).

Conclusion: Three pharmacist-driven interventions were effective in increasing vaccination rates for the herpes zoster vaccine.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Potential Conflicts of Interest Disclosure: This study was funded by the Investigator Initiated Studies Program, Merck & Co. Dr. Stephan L. Foster is on the speaker’s bureau for Merck Vaccines.

References

    1. Gershon AA, Gershon MD, Breuer J, et al. Advances in the understanding of the pathogenesis and epidemiology of herpes zoster. J Clin Virol. 2010;48:S2–7. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ragozzine MW, Melton LJ, III, Kurland LT, et al. Population-based study of herpes zoster and its sequelae. Medicine. 1982;61:310–6. - PubMed
    1. Hope-Simpson RE. The nature of herpes zoster: a long-term study and a new hypothesis. Proc R Soc Med. 1965;58:9–20. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Merck and Co., Inc. Zostavax®. [December 23, 2011];Highlights of Prescribing Information. Accessed at http://www.merck.com/product/usa/pi_circulars/z/zostavax/zostavax_pi2.pdf.
    1. Harpaz R, Ortega-Sanchez IR, Seward JF. Division of Viral Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Prevention of herpes zoster: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) [December 23, 2011];MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2008 57(05):1–30. Accessed at http:www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5705a1.htm. - PubMed

Publication types

Substances

LinkOut - more resources