APhA and CDC Announce Collaboration to Support Role of Pharmacists in Building Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines

The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced in a statement that they have entered into a collaborative agreement focused on supporting the role of pharmacists in building the public’s confidence in COVID-19 vaccines.

The CDC previously established its goals around improving vaccine confidence in a 3-part strategy designed to build trust, empower health care personnel, and engage communities and individuals. APhA plans to contribute to this endeavor through a comprehensive program that will work to educate pharmacists and pharmacy personnel on COVID-19 vaccines.

The APhA is designing the program to support pharmacists by developing tools for effectively discussing vaccines with patients; engaging with the public through videos, webinars, podcasts, news media, and social media; collaborating with other pharmacy organizations, health care providers, and communities in order to build vaccine trust within diverse populations.

The CDC collaboratively funded the project with APhA in hopes of developing solutions that improve vaccine confidence in communities across the country. In the statement, they acknowledged that although data indicate that a growing majority of Americans have received or are planning to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, there remain significant numbers of Americans who are taking a “wait and see” approach, are only planning to get vaccinated if it’s mandatory through work, school, or other activities, or have decided to not receive a COVID-19 vaccine at all.

The data demonstrating the ongoing presence of these vaccine-hesitant individuals show that there is more work to be done in supporting vaccine confidence in order to allow the country to successfully return to a greater level of normalcy.

“Pharmacists are already on the front lines, playing a major role in vaccinating Americans against COVID-19,” said Scott Knoer, MS, PharmD, FASHP, executive vice president and CEO of the APhA, in a press release. “This project will build on the trust that people already have in their pharmacists to provide education about the vaccines, and thoughtfully and comprehensively address patient concerns. Pharmacists will be a critical partner in ensuring that this pandemic is brought under control as quickly as possible.”

REFERENCE

American Pharmacists Association Collaborates with CDC to Build the Public’s Confidence in COVID-19 Vaccines. Washington, DC: The American Pharmacists Association; March 29, 2021. [Email] Accessed March 29, 2021.