Logistical and fiscal sustainability of a school-based, pharmacist-administered influenza vaccination program

Objective: To assess the fiscal and logistical viability of school-based, pharmacist-administered influenza vaccination programs. Design: Econometric observational study. Setting: Nine schools in the Rincon Unified School District, Santa Rosa, CA. Participants: Safeway Pharmacies; Rincon Unified School District; California Department of Public Health, Immunization Branch; and University of California, San Diego. Intervention: Assessment of direct workflow observations and administrative data. Main outcome measures: Unit costs, productivity, and effectiveness of school-based, pharmacist-administered influenza vaccination programs. Results: The results showed a unit cost of $23.63 (compared with $25.60 for mass vaccination and $39.79 for walk-in shot-only vaccination clinics). The productivity index ($0.88) and efficiency index ($1.12) were better compared with data reported for comparable vaccination programs. Conclusion: School-based, pharmacist-administered vaccination programs are fiscally and logistically self-sustaining, viable alternatives to medical office-based or community-based mass vaccination clinics, and may offer a practical strategy for vaccinating children and adolescents.