RESUMO
The U.S federal government leveraged emergency authority to allow pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir and ritonavir) during the COVID-19 pandemic. While heralded by pharmacy associations, the FDA framework included restrictions that arguably ran counter to clinical guidelines and evidence-based research and recommendations. These restrictions will limit the utility of pharmacist prescriptive authority for Paxlovid in practice. The experience of Paxlovid prescribing and a similar recent federal action illustrate the challenges inherent in federal oversight of pharmacist prescriptive authority. While initially more difficult to navigate for stakeholders, working with state legislatures and state boards of pharmacy has much stronger long-term potential to enable broad pharmacist prescriptive authority and benefit patient care. This commentary uses Idaho's pharmacist prescribing regulations as a comparison to the federal actions.
RESUMO
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that in 2010 only 14.4% of people in the United States who are appropriate candidates received the herpes zoster (shingles) vaccine. This manuscript highlights recent studies that investigate how pharmacists can help improve vaccination rates of herpes zoster in the geriatric population. Research has demonstrated that face-to-face interaction, education, and outreach by pharmacists in the community can help improve rates of herpes zoster vaccination. Having pharmacists take time to talk with patients about the vaccine was shown to have a positive impact on vaccine rates. When face-to-face interactions are not feasible, promotional materials such as newspaper advertisements, flyers, and personalized letters were also found to have a beneficial impact. Pharmacists should consider ways to increase awareness of vaccinations and directly encourage their patients to be vaccinated.
