Now That New York's Pharmacists Can Vaccinate, UB Will Teach Them How

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Sixty New York State pharmacists will be eligible for certification to administer flu and pneumonia shots after completing a training session at the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences on Saturday.

Certification will allow pharmacists to start providing, for the first time, this valuable service later this flu season in the Western New York area.

Pharmacists find themselves in this new role as the result of New York State legislation passed last fall that allows pharmacists in the state to administer flu and pneumonia shots to patients who are 18 years of age and older.

The UB School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences advocated for passage of that legislation. New York State is the 49th state to allow pharmacists to administer shots.

"The biggest reason we and so many others pushed for this is that not enough people are getting flu shots," said Karl D. Fiebelkorn, associate dean of student affairs and professional relations and clinical associate professor in the University at Buffalo School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. "More than 30,000 people in the U.S. die every year from the flu and pneumonia, and between 4,000 and 6,000 of those deaths are in New York State."

Fiebelkorn, a director of Saturday's training session, added that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control now recommend flu shots for most members of the population.

"The big advantage of pharmacy-based immunization for consumers is the convenience," he said. "They can stop by their pharmacy and get immunized right away at any time, without having to wait for a special in-store clinic or an appointment."

Health care providers whose patients want to be vaccinated at pharmacies must furnish to pharmacies individual prescriptions or non-specific patient orders, which give the pharmacist permission to immunize any of a prescriber's patients.

During the training session, called "Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery," pharmacists will learn about vaccines, adverse reactions, vaccine storage and maintenance, record-keeping, marketing, legal and regulatory issues, emergency issues, and epidemiology and disease prevention. Pharmacists also will learn vaccine administration techniques by practicing on themselves and each other.

The training session is funded by a grant from Merck & Co. It's being sponsored by UB and the American Pharmacists' Association.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public university, a flagship institution in the State University of New York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of the Association of American Universities.