Influenza vaccination rates among pharmacists

Objectives: To quantify influenza vaccination rates and determine perceived barriers to influenza vaccination among U. S. pharmacists from various practice settings. Design: Prospective study. Setting: United States in 2008. Participants: 1,028 respondents, including 895 pharmacists. Intervention: A survey request was distributed manually at the 2008 National Community Pharmacists Association annual meeting, and an initial e-mail was sent with two follow-up e-mails to all pharmacists who receive e-mails via Pharmacist e-link. Main outcome measures: Vaccination rates and barriers to vaccination among pharmacists. Results: Pharmacists reported an influenza vaccination rate of 78%, with coverage varying across practice settings: hospital (88%), academia (86%), clinic (83%), and community (75%). Employers infrequently required the influenza vaccine as a condition of employment (7%), and slightly more than one-half (58%) compensated pharmacists for being vaccinated; both of these were significantly associated with higher influenza vaccination rates (P < 0.001 for both). One-quarter of pharmacists (26%) expressed at least one issue regarding the influenza vaccine. Pharmacists were significantly less likely to be vaccinated if they expressed a concern (91% vs. 43%, P < 0.0001). Community pharmacists were significantly less likely to be compensated for receiving the influenza vaccination and significantly more likely to express one or more concerns than pharmacists from any other practice setting. Conclusion: Pharmacists reported high influenza vaccination rates overall, with slight variability among practice settings. Although employers infrequently required influenza vaccination, approximately one-half of employers compensated their pharmacists for being vaccinated. Employer incentives and pharmacist attitudes were highly correlated with influenza vaccination.