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Jennifer Gershman, PharmD, CPh, PACS, is a drug information pharmacist and Pharmacy Times contributor in South Florida.
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Influenza, COVID-19, and RSV vaccines are a critical part of MTM services
According to a CDC study, pharmacies were the most common health care settings where patients received influenza, updated COVID-19, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines during the 2023-2024 respiratory virus season.1 This highlights pharmacists’ critical role in fall immunizations through medication therapy management (MTM). The CDC issued a health advisory in December 2023 regarding the vital need to increase flu, COVID-19, and RSV vaccination rates to prevent hospitalizations and deaths,2 and this need continues into the upcoming season. Through vaccine education and administration, pharmacists can help improve immunization rates during the 2024-2025 respiratory virus season.
Fall Vaccines and MTM
Pharmacists should be aware of several critical updates regarding fall vaccines (Table3,4). More than 75,500 individuals died from COVID-19 in 2023, and approximately 45,000 died from influenza-related complications during the 2023-2024 flu season.3 Vaccines provided at pharmacies can play a significant role in decreasing those statistics.
In line with last year’s guidance, the CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older receive an updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccine.3 In August 2024, the FDA approved and authorized Pfizer and Moderna's updated 2024-2025 COVID-19 vaccines.4 Research showed that patients who received the updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine were better protected against illness and hospitalization.3 Sharing this information and giving a trusted recommendation can help indecisive patients decide to get vaccinated.
Influenza vaccines are recommended for individuals 6 months and older.3 One unique difference for the 2024-2025 season is that the influenza vaccines will be trivalent and protect against a novel influenza A (H1N1), influenza A/New York/55/2004 (H3N2), and a B/Victoria lineage virus.3
Jennifer Gershman, PharmD, CPh, PACS, is a drug information pharmacist and Pharmacy Times contributor in South Florida.
There are also notable updates for RSV vaccine recommendations. One is removing the shared clinical decision-making (SCDM) process to provide stronger guidance. The updated recommendation is designed to simplify decision-making for clinicians and patients.5 The CDC recommends that everyone 75 years and older receive 1 RSV vaccine based on data that a single vaccination provides coverage over multiple seasons.6 Individuals aged 60 to 74 years should receive 1 vaccine if they are at higher risk of RSV.6 This includes individuals with chronic cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases and patients in long-term care facilities.6 The optimal time for RSV vaccination is late summer and early fall before RSV season typically starts.6
Pharmacists can also positively impact immunizations through vaccine assessment and patient education. One study evaluated the impact of implementing a vaccine questionnaire along with pharmacist-led patient counseling on unmet vaccination needs.7 The vaccine assessment form (VAF) was created by Walgreen Co, based on CDC recommendations for addressing unmet needs and enhancing knowledge about immunizations. 7 Point-of-care screening through a questionnaire can serve as an essential tool.
In the study, 5 pharmacists provided patient counseling and identified unmet immunization needs.7 The study revealed that 133 patients visited the pharmacy to receive vaccines and completed the VAF.7 Pharmacists identified 126 unmet immunization needs, the most common being influenza vaccines (n=37).7 The most common outcome was a vaccine referral (69%) made for a later date.7 Cost (68%) was the most significant factor for delaying the vaccine.7 About 14% of the unmet vaccination needs discovered were administered at the same visit.7 The study showed that a VAF combined with pharmacist-led patient counseling addressed unmet vaccine needs and closed immunization gaps.7Addressing unmet vaccine needs is a critical part of MTM.