Impact of Pharmacist Delivery of Influenza Vaccines on Coverage

Program Delivery and Evaluation Network

Despite universal availability in several provinces and territories, influenza vaccine coverage levels in Canada continue to be suboptimal. Influenza vaccinations are primarily provided by nurses and physicians, although legislation sanctioning the administration of these vaccines by pharmacists has recently been adopted in three Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, and New Brunswick. The provision of this service by pharmacists enhances access, and in the U.S. has been associated with increased vaccine coverage. In order to determine the impact of augmenting the vaccine provider pool on vaccine uptake in Canada, we propose to use data from the Canadian Community Health Survey to compare influenza immunization coverage in jurisdictions where pharmacists administer the vaccine with jurisdictions where they currently do not. This will be a project for a University of Toronto Master’s of Public Health practicum student.