Pharmacists’ Perceptions and Drivers of Immunization Practices for COVID-19 Vaccines: Results of a Nationwide Survey Prior to COVID-19 Vaccine Emergency Use Authorization

• Published in: Pharmacy Vol. 9; no. 3; p. 131
• Main Authors: Jacob, Sonia Susan, Bridgeman, Mary Barna, Kim, Hyoeun, Toscani, Michael, Kohler, Racquel, Shiau, Stephanie, Jimenez, Humberto R., Barone, Joseph A., Narayanan, Navaneeth
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 26.07.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 vaccines; FDA approval; Immunization; perceptions; pharmacists; vaccine acceptance; vaccine hesitancy; vaccines; United States > US
• ISSN: 2226-4787; 2226-4787
• DOI: 10.3390/pharmacy9030131

Background: Pharmacists play a vital role in recommending and providing vaccines to improve public health and are on the front line of mass immunization efforts. Aim: The objective of this study is to evaluate pharmacists’ perceptions on COVID-19 vaccines prior to emergency use authorization (EUA) amid a global pandemic. Methods: A voluntary, anonymous, cross-sectional survey was conducted between September and November 2020. Survey respondents included a convenience sample of licensed pharmacists in the United States. The primary outcomes were pharmacists’ willingness to receive and recommend hypothetical COVID-19 vaccines. Covariates assessed in the survey included COVID-19 exposure or personal experience, primary pharmacy practice setting, background in training, geographic region, and prioritization of clinical data. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: This study surveyed 763 pharmacists and results from 632 participants were included in final analysis. Overall, 67.1% of the pharmacists were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and 63.4% of the pharmacists were willing to recommend a COVID-19 vaccine at ≤1 year from the time of vaccine approval. At >1 year after vaccine approval, 78% of the pharmacists were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and 81.2% of the pharmacists were willing to recommend a COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusions: Survey findings suggest that, while a majority of pharmacists surveyed indicate acceptance of hypothetical COVID-19 vaccines, there remains to be hesitancy among pharmacists to receive or recommend vaccination.