[Vaccination by the pharmacist: practical guidelines]

[Community pharmacist and vaccination: actuality and opportunity]

Improving the vaccinal policy has become a major stake in France as in many other developed countries. The neglect of vaccination strategies by citizens has complex and multiple causes. Some are directly linked with recent media controversies about vaccination and with a global lack of confidence toward producers and regulators. Other causes are directly linked with individual behaviors, professional practices and primary care organization. Community pharmacists have a good observing position of this phenomenon, as they are prepositioned on the territory, in constant contact with both outpatients and healthy people. Pharmacist's sociological and technical observations appear to be useful in designing new approaches for improving vaccinal strategies. While the 2012-2017 "vaccine policy" should emphasize the central role of general practitioners in France, these observations invite to develop innovative collaboration with pharmacists in the search of a better vaccine coverage.

[Vaccination and French community pharmacists: from innovative actions to innovative organisations?]

The situation report of vaccination in France and a methodology of vaccination suggests that some vaccines may opportunely be injected in the pharmacy where and when the relevant vaccine is dispensed. Vaccination by pharmacist could hence mean dispensation, traced administration and documented follow-up. This perspective requires the normative framework, information systems and vocational training to be somewhat adapted, and financial incentives to be aligned. The challenges are cultural and organisational. Pharmacist's optional implication along with the prescriptor would have a major interest in terms of individual protection and cost-effectiveness of public health strategies. It would allow to release and to value medical and nursing time for the benefit of patients. Thanks to gain-sharing organizations, healthcare providers could explore dynamic cooperation.