Parental acceptance of human papillomavirus vaccinations and community pharmacies as vaccination settings: A qualitative study in Alabama

•Physicians play a crucial role in parents' HPV vaccination decisions.•Parents are reluctant to use pharmacists as HPV vaccine providers.•Parents are concerned about pharmacists' training and pharmacy infrastructure.•Community pharmacists must work in conjunction with physicians.

PurposeTo determine parents' knowledge and attitudes regarding human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations in their adolescent children and to describe parents' perceptions of adolescent vaccinations in community pharmacies.MethodsIn-depth interviews were completed with parents or guardians of children ages 11-17 years from Alabama's Lee and Macon counties. One-hour long, open-ended telephonic or in-person interviews were conducted until the saturation point was reached. Using ATLAS.ti software and thematic analysis, interview transcripts were coded to identify themes.ResultsTwenty-six parents were interviewed, most of whom were female (80.8%) and white (50%). A total of 12 themes were identified. First, two themes emerged regarding elements facilitating children's HPV vaccination, the most common being positive perception of the HPV vaccine. Second, elements hindering children's vaccination contained seven themes, the top one being lack of correct or complete information about the HPV vaccine. The last topic involved acceptance/rejection of community pharmacies as vaccination settings, and the most frequently cited theme was concern about pharmacists' clinical training.ConclusionsPhysician-to-parent vaccine education is important, and assurances of adequate pharmacy immunization training will ease parents' fears and allow pharmacists to better serve adolescents, especially those who do not see physicians regularly.