In many countries, expanding vaccination pathways and providers has been met with concerns from those healthcare professionals who have traditionally led vaccination services. However, in several countries where pharmacist-led vaccination has been in place for years or even decades, this opposition has disappeared or significantly subsided, as it became clear that vaccination by pharmacists was safe, easily accessible and professional, that overall vaccination coverage increased and that the service provided value to individuals and societies. International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has advocated for a greater participation of pharmacists in the vaccination space through a variety of roles, ranging from improving community awareness and providing evidence-based advice, addressing vaccine hesitancy and concerns, distributing and dispensing vaccines, administering vaccines and updating vaccination records.

These roles were supported by the World Health Organization in the joint WHO-FIP Guidelines on Good Pharmacy Practice in 2011, and they continue to expand year after year worldwide in a consolidated manner. Active Citizenship Network has been invited as a panelist to bring to the discussion the point of view of the active and working population, for whom proximity, convenience and accessibility are key factors to improve access to vaccination services. The roundtable will take place on 21 October 2021, 13.00-14.30 CET, via Zoom. 

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Cittadinanzattiva's commitment to pharmacies (IT – EN)

Our recent publication: JOURNAL OF VACCINES RESEARCH & VACCINATION (Volume 7 • Issue 1 • 100017 - published on Apr 16, 2021): Enlarging access to vaccination in Italy according to the citizens and the pharmacists’ perspective