Pharmacists' Perceptions and Drivers of Immunization Practices for COVID-19 Vaccines: Results of a Nationwide Survey Prior to COVID-19 Vaccine Emergency Use Authorization

Sonia Susan Jacob; Mary Barna Bridgeman; Hyoeun Kim; Michael Toscani; Racquel Kohler; Stephanie Shiau; Humberto R Jimenez; Joseph A Barone; Navaneeth Narayanan

doi:10.3390/pharmacy9030131

Pharmacists' Perceptions and Drivers of Immunization Practices for COVID-19 Vaccines: Results of a Nationwide Survey Prior to COVID-19 Vaccine Emergency Use Authorization

Pharmacy (Basel). 2021 Jul 26;9(3):131. doi: 10.3390/pharmacy9030131.

Authors

Sonia Susan Jacob¹, Mary Barna Bridgeman², Hyoeun Kim², Michael Toscani^{1

2}, Racquel Kohler³, Stephanie Shiau⁴, Humberto R Jimenez², Joseph A Barone², Navaneeth Narayanan²

Affiliations

¹ Rutgers Pharmaceutical Fellowship Program, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.
² Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration, Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
³ Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA.
⁴ Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA.

Abstract

Background: Pharmacists play a vital role in recommending and providing vaccines to improve public health and are on the front line of mass immunization efforts.

Aim: The objective of this study is to evaluate pharmacists' perceptions on COVID-19 vaccines prior to emergency use authorization (EUA) amid a global pandemic.

Methods: A voluntary, anonymous, cross-sectional survey was conducted between September and November 2020. Survey respondents included a convenience sample of licensed pharmacists in the United States. The primary outcomes were pharmacists' willingness to receive and recommend hypothetical COVID-19 vaccines. Covariates assessed in the survey included COVID-19 exposure or personal experience, primary pharmacy practice setting, background in training, geographic region, and prioritization of clinical data. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results: This study surveyed 763 pharmacists and results from 632 participants were included in final analysis. Overall, 67.1% of the pharmacists were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and 63.4% of the pharmacists were willing to recommend a COVID-19 vaccine at ≤1 year from the time of vaccine approval. At >1 year after vaccine approval, 78% of the pharmacists were willing to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and 81.2% of the pharmacists were willing to recommend a COVID-19 vaccine.

Conclusions: Survey findings suggest that, while a majority of pharmacists surveyed indicate acceptance of hypothetical COVID-19 vaccines, there remains to be hesitancy among pharmacists to receive or recommend vaccination.

Keywords: COVID-19; perceptions; pharmacists; vaccine acceptance; vaccine hesitancy; vaccines.