Sakr Fouad, Akiki Zeina, Dabbous Mariam, Salameh Pascale, Akel Marwan
PharmD, MPH. Clinical Associate Professor. Lebanese International University, School of Pharmacy, Lebanon. Université Paris-Est Créteil, École Doctorale Sciences de la Vie et de la Santél, France. Institut Mondor de Recherche Biomédicale, France.
PhD. Assistant Professor. Institut National de Santé Publique, Epidémiologie Clinique et Toxicologie - Liban (INSPECT-LB), Lebanon. Lebanese University, Faculty of Public Health, Lebanon.
Pharm Pract (Granada). 2021 Oct-Dec;19(4):2565. doi: 10.18549/PharmPract.2021.4.2565. Epub 2021 Nov 13.
Vaccination rates remain suboptimal in multiple areas around the world in spite of evidence that immunization is one of the most effective interventions for precluding morbidity and mortality. Non-traditional vaccine providers are proposed to augment immunization coverage. Pharmacists can have multiple vital roles to educate, facilitate and immunize against vaccine-preventable diseases. Limited data are available around the expertise and practices of Lebanese pharmacists in providing immunization services.
This study aimed to determine predictors that are associated with vaccine administration by pharmacists in Lebanon, and to assess experiences and practices in providing immunization.
This is a cross-sectional study that included pharmacists from all over Lebanon. A web-based self-administered validated questionnaire was adapted with permission. A snowball sampling technique was used to collect data through an electronic self-administered questionnaire between March and June 2021. The web-link to the survey was also shared by the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon with all registered pharmacists to gather a sample from different districts all over Lebanon.
A total of 315 pharmacists were included. A significant positive association was found between completion of an immunization training program (ORa = 2.085, [95%CI 1.006:4.322], P = 0.048), full-time pharmacists (ORa = 2.504, [95%CI 1.156:5.426], P = 0.02), 1 to 4 years of practice experience (ORa = 3.855, [95%CI 1.849:8.039], P < 0.0001), geographic area of practice (ORa = 3.201, [95%CI 1.242:8.249], P = 0.016; ORa = 5.373, [95%CI 1.859:15.530], P = 0.002 for Beirut and Mount Lebanon respectively), educating the public about immunization (ORa = 3.012, [95%CI 1.281:7.083], P = 0.011); and vaccine administration.
The study highlights the need for additional immunization training programs to pharmacists to expand their ability and role as immunizers. It also provides intuition for policy makers to upgrade legislation relating to pharmacy continuing education and immunization training in order to enable pharmacists to have a greater role in direct vaccination.
尽管有证据表明免疫接种是预防发病和死亡最有效的干预措施之一，但全球多个地区的疫苗接种率仍未达到最佳水平。有人提议由非传统疫苗提供者来提高免疫接种覆盖率。药剂师在教育、促进和实施针对疫苗可预防疾病的免疫接种方面可发挥多种重要作用。关于黎巴嫩药剂师提供免疫接种服务的专业知识和实践的数据有限。
本研究旨在确定与黎巴嫩药剂师进行疫苗接种相关的预测因素，并评估提供免疫接种的经验和实践。
这是一项横断面研究，纳入了来自黎巴嫩各地的药剂师。经许可改编了一份基于网络的自我管理的有效问卷。2021年3月至6月期间，采用滚雪球抽样技术通过电子自我管理问卷收集数据。黎巴嫩药剂师协会还将调查问卷的网络链接分享给了所有注册药剂师，以从黎巴嫩各地不同地区收集样本。
共纳入315名药剂师。发现完成免疫接种培训项目（优势比a = 2.085，[95%置信区间1.006:4.322]，P = 0.048）、全职药剂师（优势比a = 2.504，[95%置信区间1.156:5.426]，P = 0.02）、1至4年的实践经验（优势比a = 3.855，[95%置信区间1.849:8.039]，P < 0.0001）、执业地理区域（优势比a = 3.201，[95%置信区间1.242:8.249]，P = 0.016；贝鲁特和黎巴嫩山的优势比分别为a = 5.373，[95%置信区间1.859:15.530]，P = 0.002）、向公众宣传免疫接种（优势比a = 3.012，[95%置信区间1.281:7.083]，P = 0.011）与疫苗接种之间存在显著正相关。
该研究强调需要为药剂师提供更多免疫接种培训项目，以扩大他们作为免疫接种者的能力和作用。它还为政策制定者提供了思路，以升级与药房继续教育和免疫接种培训相关的立法，使药剂师能够在直接疫苗接种中发挥更大作用。
