title: An introductory pharmacy practice experience emphasizing student-administered vaccinations.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To introduce a requirement for second-professional year (P2) and third-professional year (P3) students to administer vaccinations to adults in community pharmacy-based immunization clinics.
  
  
  METHODS
  Second-professional year students were trained to administer influenza, pneumococcal, and other vaccinations to adults following the American Pharmacists Association's standards. All P2 students in fall 2004 and all P2 and P3 students in fall 2005 were assigned to 2 community pharmacy-based immunization clinics in the metropolitan Denver area under the supervision of immunization-certified staff pharmacists. An evaluation of the experience was conducted using retrospective preceptor and student-based survey data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 2004 and 2005, the students administered approximately 5,000 (30-50 immunizations per student) and 15,000 (60-70 per student) immunizations, respectively. Students and preceptors agreed that the requirement to administer vaccinations was an appropriate activity for students and that it increased the students' self-confidence. When asked to rate the value of the students' work administering adult immunizations in the fall 2004 semester, the mean score given by the P2 students' immunization-certified preceptors was 9.2 on a 10-point Likert scale (1 = no value and 10 = great value).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Consistent with accreditation standards for students to have direct patient care responsibilities in introductory pharmacy practice experience courses, a requirement for P2 and P3 students to administer vaccines to adult patients in community pharmacies was successfully introduced.
authors: School of Pharmacy, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO 80262, USA. Christopher.Turner@uchsc.edu
authors: Christopher J
authors: CJ
authors: Turner
authors: Sam
authors: S
authors: Ellis
authors: Joel
authors: J
authors: Giles
authors: Ralph
authors: R
authors: Altiere
authors: Charles
authors: C
authors: Sintek
authors: Heather
authors: H
authors: Ulrich
authors: Connie
authors: C
authors: Valdez
authors: Emily
authors: E
authors: Zadvorny
mesh_terms: D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000379:methods; D012580:Schools, Pharmacy; D013339:Students, Pharmacy; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*