Journal of the American Pharmacists Association
Science and PracticeAdvances in Pharmacy PracticeInnovative partnership in Connecticut to expand health professional eligibility to administer COVID-19 vaccines
Section snippets
Background
On December 7, 2020, the Acting Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) issued an executive order1 authorizing a specific group of health professionals to administer coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccines provided they complete a vaccination training program. Eligible professionals included podiatrists, dentists, veterinarians, dental hygienists with training to administer anesthesia, advanced emergency medical technicians (EMTs), EMTs with intramuscular epinephrine
Objectives
The objectives of this program were to
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Collaborate with the state of Connecticut DPH to leverage the knowledge, expertise, and capacity of UConn School of Pharmacy faculty and students.
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Rapidly increase the number of certified vaccinators by training health professionals who otherwise were ineligible to provide COVID-19 vaccines to humans in the state of Connecticut.
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Develop and implement a timely and informative social media campaign targeting vaccine hesitancy in multiple languages.
Development of the vaccine certification program
In late November, discussions between DPH and DCP administration identified the UConn School of Pharmacy as the only provider of a vaccination training program for pharmacists in Connecticut. At that time, the Dean of the UConn School of Pharmacy was contacted to initiate discussions on how the school could provide this training to other health professionals identified in the governor’s executive order.1 These health professionals were selected because they have experience with handling and
Practice innovations
Our pharmacist-led training program provided a unique pathway to increase the number of vaccination-certified health professionals of whom human vaccination would otherwise be outside their scope of practice. Our model of vaccination training in which pharmacists and student pharmacists trained other health professionals is a first of kind in the state of Connecticut. In addition, we are unaware of any such models nationally. The layered approach with didactic and then in-person training
Evaluation methods
Our program was successfully implemented to meet the demand and fill the needs set forth by a state executive order.1 Success was based on the rapid increase in the number of vaccinators eligible to administer the COVID-19 vaccine throughout the state. Pharmacists led the effort to train this diverse group of health professionals who would otherwise be ineligible to assist in human vaccine administration based on their scope of practice. These successes contributed integrally but indirectly to
Vaccine certification program
As of April 30, 2021, 1834 health professionals who were given an executive order to administer human vaccinations, registered to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. Of that total, 1195 (65%) participants completed the UConn School of Pharmacy’s online training, and 872 participants (48%) attended our in-person training, available from January 15 to April 30 (Figure 1A). The remaining participants completed online trainings developed by DPH and in-person sessions hosted by an evaluator from DPH.
Practice implications
To optimally role out COVID-19 vaccination in the state of Connecticut, the DPH and the governor’s office wanted to employ an all hands-on-deck strategy. Health professionals who have experience providing injections, but not vaccinations in humans, were cross-trained to rapidly build capacity. DPH came to the UConn School of Pharmacy because they recognized the critical link that pharmacists provide in ensuring that patients in the state receive a host of vaccines and that pharmacists have the
Conclusions
A partnership between the Connecticut DPH and the UConn School of Pharmacy allowed the state of Connecticut to scale up its capacity rapidly to administer the COVID-19 vaccine to its citizens. Using an existing framework for vaccination training, a unique model was developed in which pharmacists led efforts to train eligible health professionals to be certified in the administration of human vaccinations. The program was successful and could be a model for other community-based public health
Cassandra R. Doyno, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
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Cassandra R. Doyno, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Jill M. Fitzgerald, PharmD, Director, Experiential Learning and Continuing Professional Development; and Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
C. Michael White, PharmD, FCP, FCCP, Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Diana M. Sobieraj, PharmD, FCCP, BCPS, Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT
Michael Zacchera, MA, NRP, Region 3 EMS Coordinator, Connecticut Department of Public Health, Office of Emergency Services Hartford, CT
Disclosure: The authors declare no relevant conflicts of interest or financial relationships.