Survey Finds Vast Majority of Pharmacists Plan to or Have Been Vaccinated Against COVID-19

A survey by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) has found that more than 90% of pharmacists plan to or have been vaccinated against the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The majority also said they are comfortable addressing patients’ concerns regarding the vaccines.¹

Of those who said they have or will receive the vaccine, 51% said they had received 1 dose, 10% had received 2 doses, and 31% plan to get it as soon as it is available.¹

This latest survey included 570 pharmacists between January 9 and 16, 2021. The respondents work in a broad range of practice settings, with the majority practicing in community-based settings.¹

When asked about their readiness to administer the vaccine, 41% of respondents said they were already administering it, 38% said they would be able to administer it as soon as it is available, and 17% were preparing to administer the vaccinations and would participate in future phases of the vaccine delivery program.¹ The survey also found that 95% of respondents are comfortable addressing patients’ concerns about the vaccine and 79% said staffing in their pharmacy is adequate to offer the vaccine.¹

This is the third survey conducted by APhA about the COVID-19 vaccine since September 2020. The press released noted that in each successive survey, an increasing number of pharmacists said they plan to be immunized, plan to manage the logistics of handling the vaccine, and will administer it to patients.¹

In a survey conducted in November 2020, APhA found that 52% of pharmacists said they would receive the vaccine as soon as possible and 17% said they would receive it after 6 months of experience with the vaccine. Furthermore, 9% said they would receive it after 1 year of experience, 17% said they were undecided, and 6% said they would not receive it.²

“The rising rates of pharmacists’ confidence in the vaccine and their planned participation in vaccination activities demonstrates that pharmacists are ready, willing, and able to protect Americans against the coronavirus,” said Scott J. Knoer, PharmD, executive vice president and CEO of APhA, in a press release. “Approximately 400,000 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy interns have been trained for precisely this moment, and we’re ready to do the job.”¹

REFERENCES

• Vast Majority of Pharmacists Plan to or Have Been Vaccinated, Against COVID-19, APhA Survey Finds [news release]. American Pharmacists Association; January 21, 202 https://www.pharmacist.com/press-release/vast-majority-pharmacists-plan-or-have-been-vaccinated-against-covid-19-apha-survey. Accessed January 21, 202
• Murphy J. APhA Survey Results Find Pharmacists Ready to Receive, Administer COVID-19 Vaccines. Pharmacy Times; December 4, 2020. https://www.pharmacytimes.com/news/apha-survey-results-finds-pharmacists-ready-to-receive-administer-covid-19-vaccines. Accessed January 21, 2021.