title: Defining the pharmacist role in the pandemic outbreak of novel H1N1 influenza.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess patient knowledge about H1N1 influenza pandemic and vaccine availability, evaluate the effectiveness of student pharmacist education about H1N1 influenza, assess patient comfort with pharmacists as immunization providers, and identify patients preferred location for H1N1 vaccination.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive, nonexperimental, cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  18 community pharmacy advanced pharmacy practice experience (CP-APPE) sites located across New York State, from September 2009 to February 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  Convenience sample of adult (≥18 years of age) patients of CP-APPE sites.
  
  
  METHODS
  Student pharmacists delivered an education intervention to patients and patients completed anonymous surveys.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patient knowledge and comfort with pharmacists as immunizers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  19 student pharmacists at 18 CP-APPE sites engaged in 215 interventions. The majority of respondents were women (60.9%) who were older than 60 years (43.7%) and white (83.7%). Patient knowledge and comfort with pharmacists as immunizers improved significantly. Compared with baseline, student pharmacist education interventions significantly increased the number of patients who were comfortable receiving the H1N1 influenza vaccination from a pharmacist (from 69.3% to 81.4%, P = 0.012).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Student pharmacists served as an effective education resource for patients regarding the H1N1 pandemic. Patient comfort with pharmacist provision of the H1N1 vaccination can enable pharmacists to serve as frontline health professionals in the time of a pandemic outbreak.
authors.affiliation: Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Albany, NY, USA. shannonmiller@kinneydrugs.com
authors.forename: Shannon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Nimish
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vadala
authors.forename: Jeanine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Abrons
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cerulli
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004512:Education, Pharmacy; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D058873:Pandemics; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D057240:Patient Preference; D024382:Professional Role; D013339:Students, Pharmacy