Pharmacy students play crucial role in COVID-19 mass vaccinations

Pharmacy Intern Involvement in COVID-19 Immunization Practices in New York State

Background: Pharmacists and pharmacy interns were instrumental in vaccination efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: To identify pharmacy intern involvement in COVID-19 immunization practices in New York State (NYS) and explore interns' perceptions of experiences. Methods: A 34-item survey was developed and administered at 5 pharmacy programs in NYS. Data collected included: perceptions of immunization readiness, participation in immunizations, description of experiences, and perceptions on the role of pharmacists. Respondents also reported on their preparedness to participate in the immunization process and the types of questions received from patients. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Questions regarding student experiences before and after participating in immunization efforts were analyzed using a two-sample t test. Results: A total of 460 interns participated in the survey with 398 (87%) reporting participation in COVID-19 immunizations. Of those, 231 (58%) participated at work, 146 (36.7) during experiential rotations, and 98 (24.6%) during volunteer experiences. Respondents participated in various components of vaccine delivery including administration (n = 246, 61.8%). Respondents administered an estimated 57,100 COVID-19 vaccines from December 2020 to April 2021 resulting in significantly higher mean scores for comfort level (5-point Likert scale) administering vaccines after participation (mean score 4.08 ± 1.31) compared to before (mean score 3.61 ± 1.42) (p < .0001). Themes which emerged regarding student perceptions of their experience are described. Conclusion: Pharmacy intern involvement in NYS COVID-19 immunization practices contributed to public health vaccination efforts. Additionally, interns improved comfort levels with immunization administration and recognized pharmacists' emerging roles within the U.S. healthcare system.

Role satisfaction among community volunteers working in mass COVID-19 vaccination clinics, Waterloo Region, Canada

INTRODUCTION

Unpaid community volunteers are a vital public health resource in times of crisis. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, community volunteers were mobilized to support mass vaccination efforts in many countries. To have this group's continued engagement, it is essential to understand the community volunteer experience, including the opportunities and challenges they encounter and how these contribute to their role satisfaction. This qualitative study investigated the factors contributing to community volunteers' role satisfaction at COVID-19 mass vaccination clinics in the Region of Waterloo, Canada.

METHODS

Qualitative data were analyzed from 20 volunteers (aged 48-79 years) who had worked at one of four COVID-19 vaccination clinics in the Region of Waterloo, Canada. Data were analyzed thematically using an inductive coding process followed by an iterative process of grouping and identifying linkages and relationships within the themes.

RESULTS

Four interrelated themes were developed from the inductive analysis process. The theme of community volunteers feeling valued or disesteemed in their role depends on the interaction between the three themes of role description, role preparation, and clinic context.

CONCLUSIONS

For volunteers in crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteer role satisfaction depends on how their contributions are valued, the clarity of their role descriptions, volunteer-specific training, and the sentiments of volunteers and staff within the clinic context. Greater role satisfaction can help with retention as volunteers become more resilient and adaptable to the complex dynamic circumstances of a crisis response. Activities such as training and materials development for role preparations should be explicitly planned and well-resourced, even in crisis/pandemic situations. Building clinic managers' or supervisors' skills in communication during crisis/pandemic situations and the skills for the creation of team cohesion are critical investment areas.

Supporting COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout before Charter Class Arrives: The University of California, Irvine Experience

Despite numerous challenges in relation to being a recently established school, the University of California, Irvine (UCI) School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences (SPPS), similar to many schools of pharmacy in the United States, was highly committed to supporting the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. UCI SPPS and our affiliated UCI Medical Center (UCIMC) Pharmacy Department partnered to spearhead the pharmacy element of a large-scale COVID-19 vaccination clinic on campus for both employees and the community. Three key initiatives were established in order to overcome the obstacles we faced in the large-scale roll out of COVID-19 vaccines: (1) forging new collaborations within the pharmacy team, (2) leveraging interprofessional education and practice, and (3) raising awareness of the pharmacists’ role. Our response to the COVID-19 vaccines at UCI was a tangible, visible model that demonstrated that, while we continue to embrace our role in team-based, patient-centered care, it is also important for us to step up and lead the profession. Additionally, this vaccine rollout experience is a teachable moment for our communities and our health professional partners as we continue to march forward as one voice to serve the American public.

Student Pharmacists during the Pandemic: Development of a COVID-19 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (COVKAP) Survey

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused innumerable changes to all aspects of human life and behavior, including academic life. This study describes the development of a COVID-19 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (COVKAP) Survey among U.S. student pharmacists. The survey was administered at Doctor of Pharmacy programs in three states—Tennessee, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Methods: The COVKAP survey—an online cross-sectional survey—was distributed to U.S. student pharmacists enrolled in three different colleges of pharmacy in three states during the fall semester of 2020. The survey was developed using literature review and Dillman’s recommendations for survey design. The COVKAP survey consisted of 23 closed and Likert-scale questions, and three open-ended questions. The research team conducted descriptive and inductive thematic analyses on the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively using SPSS (v27) and Dedoose^® software. Results: A total of 421 responses were received. Respondents were predominantly female (72%) and White (79%). The average age of respondents was 23.4 years. The qualitative analysis revealed three themes: (1) Wellbeing and mental health struggles; (2) Being part of the decision-making process; (3) Necessity of adequate protection measures. Conclusions: Preliminary study findings indicate that student pharmacists’ concerns and the challenges that they face in their academic pursuits are largely similar across the three states in this study and inform about the importance of recognizing and mitigating the impact of widespread disruption in education. This disruption provides an opportunity for pharmacy academia to examine practices and methods that can be improved upon to help students become successful practitioners.