Impact of a pharmacy student-based inpatient pneumococcal vaccination program

Pneumococcal disease remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the adult, at-risk population. Even with the availability of a safe and effective vaccine and well-defined guidelines for its administration, less than half of eligible individuals have been vaccinated. Vaccination programs conducted by pharmacists have been proposed and proven effective in helping to expand vaccine coverage. We conducted an inpatient pneumococcal vaccination program that was carried out by Doctor of Pharmacy candidates completing Internal Medicine rotations. Twenty-eight students screened 785 patients at four different medical centers throughout North Carolina. As a result of the student screening process 134 patients received the pneumococcal vaccine, increasing our vaccination rate from 38 percent on admission to 57 percent at the time of hospital discharge. This benefit was seen with little resource commitment from the faculty and institutions involved. Pharmacy students can be a valuable resource in improving vaccination rates on an inpatient basis, benefiting student, institution and patients.

Duke Scholars

Author Richard Howard Drew Medicine, Infectious Diseases