Impact of a pharmacist‐led pneumococcal vaccination outreach program in a primary care setting

Introduction Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of bacterial infections and leads to 1.5 million hospitalizations annually. Vaccinations are one of the most important and cost‐effective tools available in healthcare to prevent infectious diseases. However, gaps still exist between what is recommended and actual vaccination rates in the United States. Objective The primary objective of this study was to assess the impact of a newly implemented pharmacist‐led pneumococcal vaccination outreach program on overall PPSV23 rates in the primary care setting. Methods This was a retrospective, quasi‐experimental study conducted following the implementation of a newly developed, pharmacist‐led, vaccination outreach program as part of a novel standard of care practice implemented in two primary care offices. Pharmacists provided direct patient outreach through telephone calls to all patients deemed eligible for PPSV23 that met inclusion criteria. Pharmacists provided counseling on PPSV23 and action steps to receive the vaccine at the office through appointment. The primary outcome of change in vaccination rates was assessed 90 days after patient outreach. Secondary outcomes assessed feasibility, common barriers to vaccination, coadministration with influenza vaccination, and revenue changes. Results A total of 762 patients were contacted under the outreach program. Overall PPSV23 vaccination rates significantly increased following the implementation of the pharmacist‐led vaccination outreach program (54.1% vs 60.5%, P < 0.001). Of the 398 patients reached, 38.9% accepted the recommendation for PPSV23 and 66.5% of those patients had confirmed administration. Approximate revenue generation secondary to the program was $5568.85. Conclusion A pharmacist‐led PPSV23 vaccination outreach program significantly increased the rate of PPSV23 vaccination in two primary care offices, leading to improved compliance with national vaccination recommendations and revenue generation.