Abstract
Since 2007, community pharmacists in Canada have become increasingly involved in delivering Travel Health services, including the recommendation and administration of vaccines. This qualitative scoping survey examines some of the activities and opinions of those early pharmacist adopters delivering these services. A Survey Monkey free text questionnaire was emailed to pharmacists who were involved in delivering travel medicine services. 21 pharmacists responding represented seven Canadian provinces. Only 5 pharmacists estimated that they were seeing five or more patients a week on average. Amongst the challenges they faced the most quoted was lack of time when running a busy pharmacy (62%) a lack of prescribing authority, (52%), and lack of access to public health vaccines (52%). ‘Word of mouth’ was widely quoted as a means of developing the service, indicating a good patient satisfaction. Also expressed were the advantages of convenience in terms of being a ‘one stop shop’, ease of billing to insurance companies and convenient appointment times. There are a number of challenges which are still to be faced which may be resolved by further legislation allowing access to public health vaccines and more widespread prescribing rights. The relatively low level of consultations reported by some is of concern if those pharmacists are to maintain competence.
Highlights
In the last decade, Canadian pharmacists have taken an increasing role providing travel health services [1,2]
In addition to specialty clinics, it is currently provided by primary care providers, public health nurses and pharmacists; with or without training in this field of study
Alberta pioneered the Advanced Prescribing Authority (APA) program in 2007 to allow pharmacists with the APA designation to prescribe for almost any medication, including vaccines and medications to reduce travel health risks
Summary
Canadian pharmacists have taken an increasing role providing travel health services [1,2]. Pharmacists are in a unique position to heighten traveller awareness of the benefits of pretravel preparedness and increase accessibility and convenience of travel health services Pharmacists have seen their scope of practice expand dramatically over the past 20 years including the administration of vaccines and prescribing. Alberta pioneered the Advanced Prescribing Authority (APA) program in 2007 to allow pharmacists with the APA designation to prescribe for almost any medication, including vaccines and medications to reduce travel health risks. Other provinces such as Prince Edward Island, Pharmacy 2019, 7, 42; doi:10.3390/pharmacy7020042 www.mdpi.com/journal/pharmacy
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