NACDS will award two $300,000 requests-for-proposals to improve vaccination rates
ARLINGTON, Va. - The National Association of Chain Drug Stores on Thursday announced a request-for-proposals that will result in up to two awards of $300,000 each for demonstration projects designed to foster healthcare collaboration across the care continuum and to increase pharmacy-based immunizations.
“Health authorities have credited pharmacies for improving the accessibility of immunizations, in times of public health emergencies and in meeting ongoing health needs,” stated Steven Anderson, NACDS president and CEO. “This RFP is designed to drive population health by leveraging and magnifying the success of accessible, pharmacy-based immunizations in collaboration with other healthcare professionals for the good of patients nationwide.”
According to the project goals described in the RFP, successful applicants will develop and implement a value-based payment model that is scalable and replicable, and that results in improved immunization rates for a targeted population that are recorded within the appropriate state-based registry. The models also will feature innovative methods for sharing immunization information among the participating health plans or systems, accountable care organizations, community pharmacies and patients. The awardees will collaborate with public health agencies to improve pandemic vaccine preparedness.
The demonstration projects that are the subject of the RFP are intended to contribute to the fulfillment of the objectives behind an $800,000 grant to NACDS from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Specifically, the two-year grant from the CDC to NACDS is intended to examine innovative healthcare collaborations designed to demonstrate increased rates of pharmacy-based immunizations including influenza, pneumococcal, pertussis and herpes zoster. The grant also focuses on improving pandemic planning among pharmacies and state health departments, in addition to improving access to HPV vaccine resources and education for pharmacists.
Applicants must indicate via email by March 4, 2016, their intent to apply, and responses to the RFP are due April 1, 2016. NACDS anticipates that notification of awardees will occur on April 29, 2016. The project end date is August 31, 2017.
NACDS is making available for potential applicants an optional conference call on Feb. 23, 2016, at 4 p.m. EST, during which questions will be answered to aid in the development of proposals.
State-by-state expansion of pharmacists’ vaccination authority has emerged as a pivotal public-private health trend over the past decade. In October 2009, Maine became the 50th state to enact legislation allowing pharmacists to administer the flu vaccine. In May 2015, Georgia became the 50th state in which legislation was enacted to allow pharmacists to administer three adult vaccines, adding pharmacists’ vaccination authority for pneumococcal and herpes zoster to their existing vaccination authority for influenza.