APhA, Washington State University launch program to prepare pharmacists for pediatric immunizations

The American Pharmacists Association, in partnership with Washington State University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, has launched Pharmacy-based Immunizations for Pediatric Patients, a new program designed to prepare state-licensed immunizing pharmacists to meet the education requirements to administer vaccinations to children 3 to 18 years of age. The program is in compliance with new guidelines issued by the Department of Health and Human Services.

“When the new HHS guidelines were announced, we moved quickly to put this program in place for our members. Including pharmacists as immunizers is critical to preventing the spread of flu this season and ensuring that all patients have convenient access to the COVID-19 vaccine when one is available,” said APhA executive vice president and CEO Scott Knoer.

More than 375,000 pharmacists have already completed APhA’s Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery Certificate Training Program, which meets the practical training required by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education.

This new program meets the minimum of two hours of ACPE-approved, immunization-related continuing pharmacy education during each state licensing period. It also provides a thorough review of topics related to immunizing pediatric patients, including parent and patient preparation, immunization administration techniques for children, and documentation of pediatric vaccinations.

“APhA has taken bold action during the pandemic to ensure pharmacists are included as frontline providers in patient care. With this new HHS guidance, pharmacists can further demonstrate their ability to provide important health care services like immunizations, which improve public health outcomes. We created this program, along with many other COVID-19 related resources from APhA, to give pharmacists the tools they need to succeed,” said Knoer.

The program can be accessed here.