Patients support flu injections at pharmacies as vaccination program expands

A QUT-led pilot program designed to boost Queensland’s vaccination rates has shown a high level of satisfaction from patients given injections at pharmacies.

During the Queensland Pharmacists Immunisation Pilot (QPIP) pharmacists administered flu vaccinations for adults. The pilot occurred in 80 pharmacies across Queensland beginning at the start of the flu season in April.

Since then over 10,000 people have been vaccinated with researchers saying the response to the service was fantastic, with over 38% of patients indicating that they don’t get the vaccination every year and 14% never having had the influenza vaccination before.

The Pilot, overseen by QUT Head of Clinical Sciences Professor Lisa Nissen, has released a snap shot of more than 7,000 patient evaluations of the program.

Patients rated the service on its professionalism, experience and overall satisfaction:

• 96% completely satisfied in vaccination explanation process
• 97% completely satisfied in professionalism of vaccination provision
• 96% completely satisfied with vaccination experience
• 97% completely comfortable with skills of professional providing immunisation
• 97% completely comfortable while they waited
• 97% thought the facilities were adequate
• 97% were happy to receive flu vaccination in a pharmacy in the future and would recommend the service to others.

Professor Nissen said the majority of patients were females, with those aged 46 to 65 being the biggest group.

She said the satisfaction survey also showed the main reason for having a flu vaccination at a pharmacy was because of convenience followed by ease of getting an appointment.

Seventy-four per cent of patients also indicated they would have to go to a GP practice if the vaccination service was not available at their local pharmacy.

With a particularly serious flu season this year, Professor Nissen said the ability to provide vaccinations to a wider group of the community who wouldn’t usually have bothered to seek out a vaccination was particularly important.

The next stage of the program will be the addition of whooping cough and measles vaccinations from this month.

(Source: Queensland University of Technology)