Vaccination services in pharmacy: what’s the price to pay?

Remuneration is vital in the context of vaccination services provided by pharmacists. The adequate compensation of vaccination services recognizes the critical role pharmacists play in vaccine administration, ensuring accessibility and widespread immunization. Third-party remuneration of vaccination services supports the integration of all vaccination pathways and providers in broad vaccination strategies that aim to ensure equity of access to vaccination and high vaccination coverage rates. In addition, remuneration acknowledges the time, expertise, and resources invested in maintaining vaccine storage protocols, staying abreast of immunization guidelines, and participating in ongoing training. This financial recognition fosters a sustainable environment for pharmacies to actively engage in vaccination initiatives, promoting community well-being through increased vaccination rates and effective disease prevention.

Moderator:
- Sham Moodley, Pharmacist, Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa/Independent Community Pharmacy Assoc (ICPA), South Africa

Panellists:
- Zaheer-Ud-Din Babar, Visiting Professor in Pharmacy, University of Huddersfield, UK
- Mark Koziol, Chairman, Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA), UK
- Refiloe Mogale, Executive Director, Pharmaceutical Society of South Africa
- Maram Jamal Al Haj Ahmad, Vice Chairwoman, ID Pharma, Jordan