LSTU-01 - Sponsored lunch break symposium: A new paradigm: The growing role of pharmacists in public health
This session will be streamed live
Chair(s)
Dr Cassandra Hall-Murray, Senior Director Medical Affairs, Pfizer, United StatesIntroduction
This symposium will cover the important role of pharmacists as vaccinators and the opportunities to further advance their ever-growing role in public health. Reflecting on the impact of the 2023 winter season in the Southern Hemisphere, this session will aim to build an understanding of the need for urgency and vigilance to protect at-risk populations against vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases for the coming Northern Hemisphere winter 2023/24. In examining the impact of cocirculation of RSV, influenza, COVID-19, and pneumococcal pneumonia, alongside suboptimal vaccine uptake rates across all recommended adult vaccines, the session will underscore the pressure that will be put on health systems and the important role that pharmacists play as vaccinators for adult respiratory diseases.
With experienced practitioners from around the world, the symposium will share advocacy best practices on how to support appropriate pharmacist scope of practice expansion and showcase the successes some countries have seen in expanding pharmacist rights. The important learnings will help to demonstrate that the public health need remains for pharmacists to continue to support vaccination, help to improve uptake rates and vaccine confidence, and help to provide a simplified patient pathway. The session will assert the case that the pharmacist role should be expanded, particularly with the potential for new vaccines on the horizon.
Programme
| 13:00 – 13:20 |
Protecting older adults against the burden of vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases Dr Cassandra Hall-Murray, Senior Director, Medical Affairs, Pfizer, United States |
| 13:20 – 13:35 |
The new paradigm in pharmacy vaccination services Dr Catherine Duggan, CEO FIP, United Kingdom |
| 13:35 – 13:50 |
Australia: a case study in using advocacy to expand pharmacists rights Prof. Lisa Nissen, Director Research Program, University of Queensland, Australia |
| 13:50 – 14:00 |
An overview of the US pharmacy system Dr Cassandra Hall-Murray, Senior Director Medical Affairs, Pfizer, United States |
| 14:00 – 14:10 |
Using advocacy to accelerate change Prof. Michael Moore AM phd, Chair Immunisation Task Force, World Federation of Public Health Associations (WFPHA), Australia |
| 14:10 – 14:25 |
Q&A session with speakers |
| 14:25 – 14:30 | Conclusions by the chair |
Learning objectives
- Acknowledge the critical role of pharmacists as vaccinators and recognize their public health contributions, now and during the emergency phase of the pandemic.
- Build a sense of urgency and acknowledgement of the need for vigilance to protect at-risk populations against vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases for the coming Northern Hemisphere winter 2023/24.
- Understand the importance of vaccination against vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases for older adults, underscoring the continuing co-circulation and burden of disease of vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases, and the important role of pharmacists as vaccinators for adult respiratory vaccines and for supporting improved uptake rates.
- Recognise success stories from across markets and share advocacy techniques and tactics to help build momentum across countries.
Take home messages
Pharmacists play a critical role in meeting the public health need by protecting populations, providing complementary capacity, and helping to increase vaccine confidence and uptake rates. It is important that we help build momentum globally for an increased scope of work for pharmacists that allows them to meet their patient needs and public health needs in their communities. By showing examples of successful advocacy campaigns, we can equip attendees with tools, tactics, and best practices to help them push advocacy forward in their countries while also ensuring they are getting fairly remunerated for their efforts.
