Empowering pharmacy technicians as vaccine champions: A pilot study in independent community pharmacies

Abstract

Background: Increasing vaccine uptake in communities has been essential, even before coronavirus disease 2019. The use of "vaccine champions" or "VaxChamps" has shown promise. VaxChamps, who are often community members with specialized training but no special credentials, advocate for vaccination by sharing their experiences and knowledge. Pharmacy technicians' scope of practice, coupled with their frequent interactions with pharmacy patients, make them ideal vaccine champions and a natural fit for the VaxChamp program. This study assessed the implementation and impact of the VaxChamp program in North Dakota community pharmacies.

Objectives: To describe the development and implementation of the VaxChamp program in community pharmacies and evaluate its effect on vaccination rates and vaccine-related tasks within each pharmacy's organizational context.

Methods: The VaxChamp program involved training one technician per participating pharmacy to spend 5 hours per week on vaccine-related tasks. Data collection included pre-post surveys, monthly reports, and semi-structured interviews with VaxChamps and pharmacists-in-charge from 6 pharmacies. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were analyzed using inductive methods to identify key themes.

Results: The 6 participating pharmacies varied in location and staffing. Most had prior vaccine administration experience. VaxChamps' roles ranged from administrative tasks to direct vaccine administration, depending on the pharmacy's staffing and workflow. Vaccination rates for pneumococcal and hepatitis B vaccines increased in several pharmacies, while shingles vaccination rates declined. The presence of advanced pharmacy practice experience students often influenced VaxChamps' responsibilities, underscoring the need for clear role delineation.

Conclusion: Integrating pharmacy technicians as VaxChamps in community pharmacies is a promising strategy to increase vaccination rates and enhance public health. Future research should explore ways to better integrate technicians into comprehensive immunization strategies and address the contextual factors that influence program implementation.