Pharmacists of Germany as immunizers : A country comparison and opportunity assessment

Abstract

Introduction: Until recently, vaccine administration in Germany was carried out by physicians and pharmacists who were only advising about vaccines. However, Germany refreshed its laws and allowed pharmacists to administer vaccines to patients in pharmacies. Therefore, the Flu Model project was started in the pharmacies in the last quarter of 2020. A literature review comparing Germany with countries having high vaccination rates was vital to assess which protocols, elements, and components involved in the systematic provision of vaccines through pharmacists were taken up by Germany and where does it lack. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted for all five countries. After the application of inclusion/exclusion criteria 89 studies, government pdfs, compilations, documents from national health departments and associations were finalized for the literature. Results: The results from the literature review demonstrated that Germany as compared to the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, and Australia; has developed a systematic approach to equip pharmacists with necessary skills, protocols, laws, and resources. With exceptions to patient’s age accessible to the pharmacy for vaccination, undergraduate training, social media usage for awareness purposes, and vaccine administration limited to only pharmacy premises; Germany has required elements to carry out successful vaccinations at the pharmacy premises. Conclusion: In a nutshell, several opportunities are evident from results and could be focused on by Germany. With exceptions to those gaps, Germany has necessary protocols, elements, and components that make up the system meant for an organized provision of vaccines at pharmacy premises through a pharmacist.