BACKGROUND: Adult vaccination rates remain suboptimal in the United States (US). As of January 2024, only 47.0% of US adults had received an influenza vaccination and 21.8% had received an updated 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccine1,2. To improve adult vaccination rates, regular assessments of patient vaccination experiences are needed that provide a better understanding of reasons/motivations for getting vaccinated, ease of vaccination, and any potential barriers that were encountered during vaccination. The objective of this analysis was to describe characteristics of adults who were recently vaccinated in pharmacy settings and evaluate their experience, including convenience and satisfaction with their vaccination visit.
METHODS: Over a period of six weeks (September 26-November 7, 2023), recently vaccinated adults in the US were surveyed to better understand patient experiences with adult vaccinations in pharmacy and healthcare professional (HCP) office settings. Patients who received ≥ 1 vaccine within the past 3 weeks at a pharmacy or HCP office were recruited from an online panel to complete the cross-sectional, web-based survey. Study participants also were required to live in the US and be able to read and speak English. Adults were excluded from the study if they were HCPs or reported receiving ≥ 4 vaccines at their most recent vaccination visit. The survey targeted a sample of 900 adults, split approximately equally between adults aged 18-49, 50-64, and ≥ 65 years. Soft quotas also were included related to patient race/ethnicity and vaccination location (pharmacy versus HCP office). In addition to demographic questions, the survey included questions related to vaccination visit logistics, reasons/motivations for getting vaccinations, potential barriers that were overcome to get vaccinated, and patient satisfaction with the vaccination visit. Survey responses were analyzed descriptively, with results for the subgroup of adults who were recently vaccinated in pharmacies reported here.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The survey was completed by 938 adults, including 618 adults who were recently vaccinated in a pharmacy setting. Among this subgroup, the mean (standard deviation) age was 56 (15) years, 60.8% were female, and 55.3% were employed. Most respondents reported receiving an influenza vaccine (69.9%) or COVID-19 vaccine (58.9%) at their most recent vaccination visit. Coadministration of multiple vaccines was common, with 37.9% receiving 2 vaccines and 5.3% receiving 3 vaccines at the pharmacy during their most recent visit. Most respondents scheduled appointments for their vaccination(s) (73.1%), with nearly 90% of these appointments scheduled online or through an app. While at the pharmacy, 40.5% of respondents reported picking up a prescription or shopping for other items. Only 5.5% of respondents took paid/unpaid time off work to get vaccinated, and 20.6% reported taking time away from other unpaid productive activities (e.g., caregiving, household activities). Nearly 15% of vaccinations occurred outside of normal business hours (Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm). Respondents were generally satisfied with their vaccinations in pharmacy settings, with mean satisfaction scores of 9.3 overall and in terms of convenience, 9.0 for ease of appointment scheduling, and 8.5 for time spent getting vaccinated (rated on a scale of 1 [completely dissatisfied] to 10 [completely satisfied]). Results suggest that pharmacies are convenient locations for adult vaccinations. Findings can be used to support continued vaccinations in these locations, particularly given ongoing challenges in the US related to vaccine hesitancy and fatigue.
