Feel free to share with all of your pharmacists the enduring education program – titled “Vaccines for Preteens and Teens: The Importance of Timely Vaccination for all Adolescents” – that NACDS and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) announced this week.
Beyond the knowledge and the continuing education credit, this program speaks volumes about the industry:
- Power of Partnership. NACDS welcomes the opportunity to partner with NFID – another organization with a fantastic reputation in the public-health community. Its recent report stated: “Retail pharmacies continue to expand their vaccination services and they are valuable partners for improving adolescent vaccination rates.” This is a powerful statement – one the industry graciously embraces.
- Vaccination as a Proof Point for the Industry. It is often discussed that pharmacy’s response to the H1N1 influenza outbreak in 2009 demonstrated the value of pharmacy access – particularly as it relates to vaccinations. Out of need, and out of proven effectiveness, pharmacists in 2009 gained the ability to administer the flu vaccine to adults in all 50 states – when Maine took that step. Since that time, pharmacists’ vaccination authority has expanded along with increasing appreciation of the day-to-day access and value that these professionals provide. In 2015, Georgia became the 50th state in which pharmacists can provide at least three adult vaccines. This remains a position of strength from which the industry can continue to build. The industry welcomes the opportunity to make a substantial contribution toward the federal recommendations for adolescent vaccinations. In so doing, NACDS also is striving to expand access to pharmacist-administered adolescent vaccinations in order to make further progress in this area.
- One Example among Many. While vaccinations have become a convenient conversation point to explain pharmacy’s value, there are other examples – including recent examples in which NACDS is highly involved. In July, NACDS and the University of Pittsburgh announced plans for a national tour this fall to advance the Test2Learn™ Community-Based Pharmacogenomics Program – including a component that will provide the instruction necessary for pharmacists to administer the training to other pharmacists. In addition, NACDS this summer presented its second annual national tour to expand pharmacy-based point-of-care testing, which – like the pharmacogenomics program – also included a vital “train-the-trainer” component.
So, by all means, please help raise awareness of the new vaccination enduring education program – it is part of a substantial and ever-expanding narrative about the industry’s work to improve health and well-being throughout the nation.
