The Role of Community Pharmacists in Travel Health and Vaccination in Switzerland.
Details
Serval ID
serval:BIB_CFB0E7FB77C2
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
The Role of Community Pharmacists in Travel Health and Vaccination in Switzerland.
Journal
Pharmacy
ISSN
2226-4787 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
2226-4787
Publication state
Published
Issued date
29/11/2018
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
6
Number
4
Pages
1-7
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article ; Review
Publication Status: epublish
Publication Status: epublish
Abstract
This review presents the Swiss strategy initiated over the last several years to implement vaccination by community pharmacists. National health authorities aimed to integrate community pharmacists in the National Vaccination Strategy (NVS) in order to increase the vaccination rate in the Swiss population. To support this aim, universities and the Swiss Association of Pharmacists developed pre- and post-graduate education programmes on vaccination for pharmacists. Finally, each Swiss canton (sovereign for health-related aspects) set proper regulations to authorize pharmacists to vaccinate and to determine which vaccines could be administered. As of September 2018, 19 cantons (out of 26) had authorized influenza vaccinations under the sole responsibility of an accredited community pharmacist. Additional vaccinations were available in 13 cantons (e.g., tick-borne encephalitis or hepatitis A, B, or A and B). Such implementation in other countries should follow a similar top-down (following a national strategy to improve vaccination coverage) and stepwise (starting with influenza to demonstrate the competencies of community pharmacists) strategy, supported by the development of research, education and accreditation. The development of health advice related to travels in community pharmacies should follow the same development in Switzerland. Currently, it offers the opportunity for strengthening travellers' safety, beyond vaccination issues.
Keywords
Switzerland, community, education, pharmacy, practice, travel, travel medicine, vaccination
Pubmed
Web of science
Publisher's website
Open Access
Yes
Create date
21/12/2018 9:53
Last modification date
20/08/2019 15:50