Villaverde Piñeiro L, Cachafeiro Pin AI, Tajes González YM, Neira Blanco P, Arias Fernández L, Vázquez López M, Blanco Hortas A, Castro Rubiños C, Aparici Bolufer JV. Impact of a pharmaceutical intervention on influenza vaccination in patients receiving treatment with biological medicines.
Eur J Hosp Pharm 2023;
31:36-39. [PMID:
35361619 PMCID:
PMC10800260 DOI:
10.1136/ejhpharm-2021-003175]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
The aims of this study were twofold - to determine the impact of a health education intervention led by a hospital pharmacy department on influenza vaccination take-up in patients diagnosed with immune-mediated diseases. Patients were receiving treatment with biological medicines. Secondly, to compare those rates with the vaccination percentages of another hospital pharmacy with similar characteristics in which no educational intervention was conducted.
METHODS
This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with immune-mediated diseases receiving treatment with biological medicines. The medicines were dispensed by the hospital pharmacy departments of two hospitals between 1 January 2019 and 31 December 2020. In Cohort A (intervention group), a health education strategy was implemented with regards to influenza vaccination. Cohort B acted as a control group. The influenza vaccination rates obtained in both cohorts during 2019 and 2020 were compared.
RESULT
A total of 355 patients took part in the study - 148 (41.7%) in Cohort A and 207 (58.3%) in Cohort B. The hospital pharmacy department in Cohort A implemented a health education strategy after which the vaccination percentage during the 2020 campaign increased by 38 patients (45.7%), compared with a 10 patient (5.8%) increase in Cohort B (p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
The health intervention by the pharmacy department had a positive impact. This included an opportunity to improve vaccination take-up and is a strategy to consider when implementing a vaccination programme. Health education is a fundamental objective of healthcare. In our case it led to an increase in vaccination and had a positive impact on public health. It also provides opportunities for pharmacists to work in a multidisciplinary way with other healthcare professionals.
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