The impact of an immunization check-up at a pharmacist-provided employee health screening

ObjectivesTo determine which types of vaccine recommendations were accepted and acted upon by patients after an immunization check-up at a pharmacist-provided employee health screening, and to evaluate if there was a difference between influenza and non-influenza vaccines.DesignRetrospective, observational.SettingSupermarket chain.PatientsEmployees and covered spouses.InterventionImmunization check-up.Main outcome measuresAcceptance rate of immunization recommendation.MethodsThis retrospective observational study evaluated the impact of an immunization check-up in individuals who participated in one of the 252 pharmacist-provided health screenings in central Virginia in 2015. All employee health screenings were completed from July 1, 2015, to September 30, 2015. Because immunization status was assessed 6 months after each person received his or her health screening, data were collected from January 1, 2016, to March 30, 2016, and analyzed to collect the number and type of vaccines recommended during the immunization check-up. Each eligible participant's profile was evaluated to determine if he or she received the vaccines at any Kroger pharmacy within 6 months. Patient identifiers were not collected; however, demographics including age, relevant disease state history, and smoking status were collected with immunization recommendations and uptake. Data were analyzed with the use of descriptive statistics.ResultsA total of 349 immunization recommendations were made, including 248 influenza; 42 pneumococcal polysaccharide (PPSV23); 40 tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis (Tdap); 12 herpes zoster; 4 pneumococcal conjugate (PCV13); and 3 hepatitis B. Both influenza and PCV13 had acceptance rates of 50%, and herpes zoster, Tdap, hepatitis B, and PPSV23 had 42%, 35%, 33%, and 24% acceptance rates, respectively. Influenza recommendations had a 50% acceptance rate compared with a 32% acceptance rate of non-influenza recommendations (P = 0.002).ConclusionAn immunization check-up performed at a pharmacist-provided employee health screening can lead to patient acceptance of recommendations and receipt of needed immunizations.