BACKGROUND:
Despite strong evidence supporting the safety and efficacy of adult and adolescent vaccines, immunizations rates continue to lag behind national goals and significant disparities exist between the general population and individuals in underserved communities. Barriers contributing to low immunization rates include patient access to affordable vaccines and misconceptions about vaccine adverse effects and the importance of being vaccinated.
The fact that the equivalent of the entire US population goes to a pharmacy every week uniquely positions community pharmacies and the pharmacists who practice there as tools that can be used to address many of these barriers. The pharmacies can be used as vehicles to distribute written information and the pharmacists themselves can be used as immunization advocates, facilitators, and in some states, vaccine administrators.

OBJECTIVE:
To identify: (a) consumer misconceptions about vaccines that may be addressed through a pharmacy-based educational campaign, (b) patient perceptions about being able to obtain vaccines in community pharmacies and from pharmacists, (c) barriers pharmacists may face in facilitating/providing vaccinations through their pharmacies, and (d) physician barriers to supporting and enabling pharmacy/pharmacist based immunization programs.

METHOD:
As part of a project supported by the CDC under Cooperative Agreement No.U66/CCU323243-01 and in collaboration with APhA and the Pharmacy Foundation of CA, three different surveys were distributed to approximately 100 physicians, 100 pharmacists, and 600 patients in the greater Sacramento area to assess recipient knowledge of and perceptions about adult/adolescent immunizations and their administration in (a) community pharmacies and (b) by pharmacists.

RESULT:
Surveys in progress. Results to be presented during the session.

CONCLUSION:
Surveys in progress. Results to be presented during the session.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1) Identify 2 frequent misconceptions consumers in underserved communities possess about a common adult/adolescent vaccine.
2) List the 3 most common things cited by pharmacists as barriers to implementing a pharmacy-based adult/adolescent immunization program.
3) Describe the single biggest concern physicians have about pharmacy-based immunization programs.