More than One-third of Walgreens Vaccinations Administered Off-Hours, Demonstrating Value & Importance of Expanded Access & C...
September 11 2013 - 8:00AM
Business Wire
A new Walgreens (NYSE: WAG) (Nasdaq: WAG) study conducted in
collaboration with the University of Southern California School of
Pharmacy and published in the September/October issue of Annals of
Family Medicine, found that more than one-third of adults who
receive vaccinations at Walgreens do so during evening, weekend and
holiday hours. The study demonstrates that Walgreens pharmacies are
creating new opportunities for vaccinations that can be a key
driver in increasing immunization rates in the U.S.
The study, titled “Vaccinations Administered during Off-Clinic
Hours at a National Community Pharmacy: Implications for Increasing
Patient Access and Convenience,” analyzed the more than 6 million
flu shots administered by Walgreens pharmacists between August 2011
and July 2012. The study also found that the patients who most
likely received vaccinations during these times were younger (less
than 65 years old), male, residing in urban areas and without
chronic conditions – groups with historically lower vaccination
rates.
“This study clearly underscores the valuable role that our
community pharmacies can play in providing greater access to
vaccines, which can be a key contributor to better immunization
rates,” said study author Michael Taitel, PhD, Walgreens senior
director of clinical outcomes and analytic services. “In addition
to flu shots, Walgreens pharmacies in most states offer a full
range of 17 vaccines recommended by the CDC. By offering
vaccinations every day and in many stores 24-hours a day, with no
appointment necessary, we’re helping more people get, stay and live
well.”
Approximately 50,000 adults die from vaccine-preventable
diseases in the U.S. every year,1 and approximately 23,0001 of
these are influenza-associated deaths. Adult influenza vaccination
rates vary, but average approximately 40 percent, despite the fact
that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
recommends a flu shot for everyone over the age of 6 months as soon
as the vaccine becomes available.
Jeffrey Goad, Pharm.D, MPH, associate professor and vice chair
at University of Southern California and lead study author added,
“This research, coupled with the existing literature, supports that
expanded off-clinic vaccination offerings could measurably increase
immunization rates in the US. It also suggests that the positive
impact could be even more significant if the ability of pharmacists
to administer all CDC recommended vaccines, as well as, Food and
Drug Administration approved travel vaccines, was expanded in all
states.”
Other authors of the study include., Leonard E. Fensterheim,
MPH, manager of Health Outcomes & Analytics, Walgreen Co. and
Adam E. Cannon, MPH, analyst, Clinical Outcomes & Analytics,
Walgreen Co.
About Walgreens
As the nation's largest drugstore chain with Fiscal 2012 sales
of $72 billion, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) vision is to become
America’s first choice for health and daily living. Each day,
Walgreens provides more than 6 million customers the most
convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and
trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and
advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy
services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and
mail service, along with respiratory services. These services
improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including
employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy
benefit managers and the public sector. The company operates 8,117
drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto
Rico. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is
the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and
wellness centers, medical practices, and in-store convenient care
clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.
1 NFID. Facts about adult immunization. 2009; Available at
http://www.nfid.org/publications/factsheets/adultfact.pdf.
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