What question did this study set out to answer?

The research aims to explore factors affecting injection service appointments scheduled outside standard hours in Canadian community pharmacies.

March 23, 2026Journal of the American Pharmacists Association0 citationsOpen Access

Administration of vaccines and injectable medications beyond 9 to 5: A cross-sectional analysis of over 1.2 million injection appointments scheduled at Canadian community pharmacies

SHSherilyn K.D. HouleUniversity of Waterloo SBSaleema BhaidaniAging Community Coordinated Enterprises and Supportive Services (United States)TRTaher RehmanjiMinistry of Health and Long Term Care

Key Points

The research aims to explore factors affecting injection service appointments scheduled outside standard hours in Canadian community pharmacies.
Cross-sectional retrospective analysis of injection appointments from January to December 2023.
Data collected from software platforms MedEssist and MedMe Health.
Appointments during off-clinic hours (9am-5pm on weekdays) were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.
27% of 1,226,903 appointments were scheduled during off-clinic hours.
Younger age (< 18 years) positively associated with off-clinic appointments (OR 1.74).
Male gender showed a slight positive association (OR 1.05).
Rural pharmacy locations were negatively associated with off-clinic appointments (OR 0.77).

Abstract

Background: Community pharmacies are highly accessed for vaccination and other injection services.The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated changes in work practices and in healthcare delivery, influencing patient preferences for timely and convenient care.Objective: This research examines patient-level and organizational factors associated with the administration of injections at Canadian community pharmacies during hours where other primary care providers may not be available. Methods:A cross-sectional retrospective analysis of appointments for injection services (vaccines and injectable medications) at community pharmacies through software from MedEssist or MedMe Health from January to December 2023 was performed.Appointments outside the hours of 9am to 5pm on weekdays, on weekends, or on federal or statutory holidays were considered to fall during 'off-clinic' hours when other health care settings where injections are provided may not be available.A multivariable logistic regression was performed to identify patient, pharmacy, community, or product factors associated with scheduling appointments during 'off-clinic' hours.Results: Of 1,226,903 appointments scheduled, 27.0% were during off-clinic hours, ranging from 9.1% among banner or independent pharmacies to 34.0% among chain pharmacies.Scheduling of appointments during 'off-clinic' hours was positively associated with younger age (OR 1.74, 95%CI 1.69, 1.79 for age < 18 years vs. 18-49) and male gender (OR 1.05, 95%CI 1.03, 1.07 vs. female) and negatively associated with rural pharmacy location (OR 0.77, 95%CI 0.75, 0.80). Conclusion:Community pharmacies often provide care over extended hours, offering convenience and accessibility that can support vaccine uptake and injectable medication adherence.Younger patient age, male gender, and urban pharmacy location are associated with greater use of appointments outside of typical business hours.

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