A new study reported in the Clinical Therapeutics journal (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28781217) has found that pharmacist immunisation in the US significantly boosted the uptake of flu vaccines.
The researchers from Avalere Health and the National Association of Chain Drug Stores compared immunisation rates before and after policy changes that gave pharmacists the ability to administer flu vaccines.
While pharmacists in all 50 states are now able to vaccinate adults, the timing of this change varied across the country.
Adults in states that allowed pharmacists to immunise were 8% more likely to be vaccinated, with the biggest increase in the age groups 40-44 and 45-50.
Overall the researchers estimated that 4.1 million additional adults were immunised in 2013 due to pharmacist involvement, resulting in up to 134,000 less flu infections.
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