Pharmacy Immunization Practice in North Carolina

Economic Burden 14 Vaccine-preventable diseases Unvaccinated adults $8.95 billion Influenza $5.79 billion Pneumococcal $1.86 billion Herpes Zoster $782 million HPV $333 million Unvaccinated adults 76% (14.1 million) cases assessed 80% ($7.1 billion) economic burden 85% (highest percentage) ages 19-49 years 99% of economic burden for Hep A and pertussis Angelo, LB. Immunization Update 2017. Pharmacy Today. May 2017. 57.

Immunization Training >300,000 trained pharmacists across the country 2016 – All ACPE-accredited schools of pharmacy required to include immunization training in their curricula American Pharmacists Association (APhA) Immunization Delivery Course – 20 hours total All NC immunization-certified pharmacists must complete 3 hours of CE every 2 years

NC Immunization Rules Effective October 1st, 2013 pharmacists were granted broader immunization authority. Pharmacists can now give the following vaccines on protocol (without a prescription): Influenza Pneumococcal Shingles Tetanus Hepatitis B Meningococcal Previously, pharmacists could only administer influenza on protocol and pneumococcal and shingles vaccines via prescription. Additionally, pharmacists can administer any CDC recommended vaccine pursuant to a prescription with the exception of Yellow Fever.

Immunization Law 18 years or older: All CDC recommended vaccines either on protocol or via prescription 14 years or older: Influenza ONLY Less than 14 years NONE!

NC Immunization Registry Pharmacists are required to manually enter all non-flu vaccines into the North Carolina Immunization Registry (NCIR) within 72 hours of administration Limited use by other healthcare professionals Also, pharmacies must notify the patient’s primary care provider (PCP) via fax within 72 hours of administration If patient’s report not having a PCP, the pharmacist must educate them on the importance of routine care and give the patient a standard flyer encouraging the patient to seek primary care.