In 2013, Prof Claire Anderson and colleagues at Boots UK Ltd evaluated their private influenza vaccination service. During the 2013-14 influenza seasion they identified the prevalence of patients, who despite being eligible for a free NHS vaccination, chose to pay for the service at a pharmacy, and evaluted these patients' motivations.
Community pharmacies work at the frontline of healthcare in cities, towns and villages; they play an increasing role in improving public health and wellbeing through provision of advanced services. Pharmacies have administrated influenza vaccinations privatley at a cost to the patient in England since 2002. Previously this was not legally authorised to be administer vaccines in France or Australia.
Boots pharmacies
This research led to a further investiagtion by Anderson in the 2014-15 influenza season, to profile the users of Boots pharmacies of influenza vaccination. The results, published in the International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, showed that Pharmacy influenza vaccination services are highly accessed by at-risk patients from all socio-demographic areas, and seem to be particularly attractive to carers, frontline healthcare workers, and those of working age. These people stated that it was easier for them to go to a pharmacy for a vaccination.
Some areas in England were locally commissioned to deliver NHS influenza vaccinations prior to Anderson's work, however, without a national commission, the service was limited by challeneges in consistancy, training and the ability to do national winter campaigns.
The findings of Anderson's research enabled at-risk patients to be reached nationally by targetting people unlikely to access the service at general practioner surgeries, as well as those with long term conditions on repeat medicines who are eligible for an NHS vaccine and frequently visit a pharmacy.
What's next?
Professor Anderson hopes to combine in depth qualitative and ethnographic methodologies with the practical demands of producing timely and formative research outcomes that can inform and change practice and policy.
Claire Anderson
Claire is a Professor of Social Pharmacy. Her research focuses on designing and evaluating pharmacy practice and health service models and exploring patient's experiences of using medicines. She seeks to improve patient and publich health in the light of contemporary health care reforms with recent interests in global health professional education and human resources for health, working in partnership with WHO, UNESCO and the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP).
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