Local and global volunteer opportunities for pharmacists to contribute to public health.

There are many local and global volunteer opportunities for pharmacists to contribute to public health initiatives that help promote health, prevent disease and improve access to care. This article provides perspective and guidance for pharmacists and student pharmacists who desire to take part in volunteer initiatives related to local and global public health needs. The case examples provided are limited to activities that occurred strictly in a volunteer capacity. Pharmacists serving in a volunteer capacity have an opportunity to broaden their depth of practice and patient care responsibilities. Their skills sets and knowledge can be applied in a variety of public health settings to help meet the health care needs of the communities and patients they serve. Emergency response and caring for the underserved are recurring themes within the volunteer opportunities afforded to pharmacists. Examples include, but are not limited to, the US Medical Reserve Corps, health departments, health centres and clinics, medical service trips and disaster relief. Regardless of setting, the volunteer pharmacist will need to consider scope of practice limitations and certain legal protections. An array of volunteer opportunities exists for pharmacists and student pharmacists in the public health arena. Participating in these events allows pharmacists to expand their practice experiences while contributing to public health needs and outreach.

The impact of an immunization training certificate program on the perceived knowledge, skills and attitudes of pharmacy students toward pharmacy-based immunizations.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a national immunization training certificate program on the perceived knowledge, skills and attitudes of pharmacy students toward pharmacy-based immunizations. METHODS: The study design utilized a pre- and post-survey administered to pharmacy students before and after the American Pharmacists Association's (APhA) Pharmacy-Based Immunization Delivery program. The primary outcome explored was a change in the perceived knowledge, skills, and attitudes of the pharmacy students. A five-point Likert scale (i.e. strongly agree = 5, strongly disagree = 1) was used for measuring the main outcomes, which was summated by adding the individual item scores in each section to form a composite score for each outcome. RESULTS: The certificate training program resulted in a significant improvement in knowledge (38.5% increase in score, p<0.001) and skills (34.5% increase in score, p<0.001), but not attitudes (1% increase in score, p=0.210). CONCLUSIONS: The national immunization training certificate program had a positive impact on the perceived knowledge and skills of pharmacy students. However, no change was observed regarding students' perceived attitudes toward pharmacy-based immunizations.