(1149) Pharmacist-led Intervention to Enhance Maternal Immunization Services in a Community-based Pharmacy

Objectives: Efforts by pharmacists to increase immunization accessibility within their communities has made a significant impact on public health. However, their impact specific to maternal immunizations is less studied. Most recent US estimates of pregnancy vaccination rates from October 2021 to January 2022 demonstrated that 48.4% self-reported receiving the flu vaccine, 45.8% had reported receiving the Tdap vaccine, and 54.4% had reported completing their COVID-19 vaccine primary series. The objectives of this study are to (1) assess the impact of a pharmacist-led intervention on vaccination rates to enhance the delivery of recommended maternal immunizations in a community pharmacy and (2) identify barriers and factors that cause immunization hesitancy in pregnant patients.

Methods: This is a prospective, mixed-methods study designed to improve maternal vaccination rates and address vaccine hesitancy among pregnant patients. Eligible patients over the age of 18 that self-report their pregnancy status will be identified to ensure they are up-to-date with all currently recommended vaccinations. Pharmacists will take a systematic approach to screening for pregnancy in the community-based pharmacy using a combination of dispensing records (including but not limited to prenatal vitamins), dispensing system documentation, and signage encouraging appropriate immunization based on the patient’s pregnancy status.
Demographic information such as age, race, and insurance status from patient profiles within the pharmacy management software and will be confirmed through the immunization assessment. Pregnancy status will be evaluated by weeks’ gestation, expected due date, and current immunization status. This intervention will guide appropriate immunization recommendations and potential counseling points to encourage vaccination based on identified facilitators and barriers. Educational material will be provided to follow during the assessment. Maternal immunizations will be administered as recommended. Should the timing not be suitable, a follow-up appointment will be scheduled at the recommended gestational week for the patient. The primary endpoint will be evaluated as a proportion of women who received at least one recommended maternal vaccine after the pharmacist-led intervention. Factors related to acceptance and refusal of vaccination recommendations will be documented as part of the immunization assessment and barriers will also be analyzed qualitatively via thematic analysis for potential facilitators to further improve the intervention.

Results: Research is in progress. It is hypothesized that pharmacist-led intervention on the delivery of recommended maternal immunizations in a community pharmacy will increase vaccination uptake compared to national estimates of pregnancy vaccination rates.

Conclusions: This study may help enhance interventions for community-based pharmacists to increase their impact on maternal immunization uptake in their communities.