Survey: Majority of Pharmacists Confident in COVID-19 Vaccine

The vast majority of pharmacists plan to or have received a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine, according to a survey of 570 pharmacists conducted last week by the American Pharmacists Association (APhA).¹

Of these pharmacists, 51% have received 1 dose, 10% have received 2 doses, and 31% plan to get it as soon as it is available.

Moreover, 95% of respondents indicated they are comfortable addressing patients’ concerns about the vaccine. Vaccine hesitancy has been identified as a foreseeable roadblock to widespread immunization against COVID-19, but pharmacists can help alleviate patient concerns.

Related: ASHP Urges Biden to Use Federal Resources, Expand Workforce for COVID-19 Vaccinations

A poll conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center of Public Affairs Research in May 2020 showed that only half of Americans are willing to receive the vaccine.² A more recent Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) survey suggested an increase in the share of the public (71%) who said they would definitely or probably get the COVID-19 vaccine, up from 63% in a September survey.³ However, approximately 1 quarter of the public remains vaccine hesitant.³

“The rising rates of pharmacists’ confidence in the vaccine and their planned participation in vaccination activities demonstrates that pharmacists are ready, willing, and able to protect Americans against the coronavirus,” Scott J. Knoer, PharmD, MS, FASHP, executive vice president and chief executive officer of APhA, said in a statement. “Approximately 400,000 pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy interns have been trained for precisely this moment, and we’re ready to do the job.”

Additionally, 41% of pharmacists surveyed reported they were already administering the vaccine, 38% said they would be able to administer it as soon as it is available, and 17% were preparing to administer the vaccinations and would participate in future phases of the vaccine delivery program. Seventy-nine percent of pharmacists said staffing in their pharmacy practice is adequate to offer the vaccine.

APhA has conducted 3 surveys about the COVID-19 vaccine since September 2020. In each successive survey, an increasing number of pharmacists said they planned to be immunized, manage the logistics of handling the vaccine, and would administer it to their patients.

References

1. Vast Majority of Pharmacists Plan to or Have Been Vaccinated, Against COVID-19, APhA Survey Finds. News release. American Pharmacists Association; January 21, 2021. Accessed January 21, 2021. https://www.pharmacist.com/press-release/vast-majority-pharmacists-plan-or-have-been-vaccinated-against-covid-19-apha-survey#:~:text=%E2%80%93%20More%20than%209%20in%2010,soon%20as%20it%20is%20available.
2. Expectations for a COVID-19 vaccine. The Associated Press-NORC Center of Public Affairs Research. May 2020. Accessed January 21, 2020. https://apnorc.org/projects/expectations-for-a-covid-19-vaccine/
3. Hamel L, Kirzinger A, Muñana C, Brodie M. KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: December 2020. Kaiser Family Foundation. Published December 15, 2020. Accessed January 21, 2020. https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/report/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-december-2020/