Learning Objectives for this Presentation:
By the end of the presentation, participants will be able to:
1) Describe content and variability in state laws governing pharmacist administration of vaccines,
2) Describe level of participation by state boards of pharmacy and pharmacy associations in state-level vaccine planning/programming, and
3) Discuss relationships involving 1) and 2).

Background:
Recent years have seen rapid expansion of state laws permitting pharmacists to administer vaccines. These laws appear to vary widely across the states. It is unclear how key pharmacy groups participate in their development and/or state-level immunization activities. Understanding this could improve laws, expand pharmacist activity, and improve immunization rates.

Objectives:
1) Describe permissiveness of state laws related to administration of vaccines by pharmacists, 2) identify the extent to which key pharmacy groups participate in state-level public health policy networks, and 3) assess how this participation relates to the permissiveness of vaccine-related laws in effect.

Methods:
This national cross-sectional study included three key informants from each state, one from: each Board of Pharmacy, each state pharmacy association, and the state agency that oversees immunization-related planning and activities. Data were collected via telephone interviews with key informants and review of state laws/records during 2004. Interviews were content analyzed and each Board's and Association's orientation classified as "active" or "reactive." Relationships between Board orientation, association orientation and flexibility of pharmacist immunization authority were analyzed.

Results:
State policies vary widely in overall flexibility. Most pharmacy Boards and associations have a reactive orientation with respect to involvement in state-level immunization-related activities. Their orientation is only weakly related to the breadth of pharmacist immunization authority.

Conclusions:
As states continue to develop, review and revise laws related to pharmacy-based immunization delivery, pharmacy groups should provide more active assistance in crafting laws aimed at facilitating improvement of immunization rates.