Mary Barna Bridgeman, PharmD, BCPS, BCGP, FASCP

Pharmacists are poised to address selective vaccination and counsel patients contemplating delaying, skipping, or seeking an alternate vaccine schedule.

A pharmacist’s role in the ambulatory care setting has traditionally included a review of medications for potential drug-drug interactions and adverse events, medication reconciliation, and the provision of counseling services.

Whereas traditional vaccines have used live or inactivated pathogens to elicit an immune response, mRNA is responsible for cellular processes, building structures, and more.

The COVID-19 pandemic serves as an important reminder of basic recommendations for ensuring health and wellness and protecting oneself against communicable disease transmission.

Pharmacists will likely encounter increased demand for the influenza vaccine during the 2020-2021 flu season because of the widely recognized value of this preventive health measure, and the anticipated continued circulation of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.