2024 Incentive Grant Recipient: Christy Nguyen, PharmD
Project Proposal: Implementation and Evaluation of a Vaccine Service within an Appointment-Based Medication Synchronization Program in a Community Pharmacy Setting
Christy Nguyen is a PGY1 Community Pharmacy Resident with University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and MercyOne Pharmacy in Dubuque, IA. She graduated from Western University of Health Sciences College of Pharmacy.
"Community pharmacy is filled with vast opportunities to engage in direct patient care. I aspire to innovate the community pharmacy practice to accommodate the growing clinical services that pharmacists are implementing to optimize patient wellbeing. In addition to identifying the immunization needs and vaccine acceptance within the community, the project identifies the facilitators and barriers to implementing a vaccination service within an appointment-based medication synchronization (ABMS) program. Medication synchronization can greatly improve medication adherence. Adding a vaccine component to this preexisting service can further enhance patient health outcomes."
"Pharmacists play a vital role in public health by providing vaccines to patients, contributing to disease prevention and immunization efforts. However, workflow issues can hinder their ability to efficiently administer vaccines, potentially leading to delays or missed opportunities for vaccination. An efficient vaccine consultation service may provide an opportunity for pharmacists to engage with patients to address gaps in comprehensive immunization coverage."
"I am excited to discover the best practices to implement vaccines and navigate obstacles to alleviate pharmacy workflow burden. With an effective workflow to incorporate vaccination services, medication synchronization programs can improve medication adherence, vaccination rates, and patient health."