MO Pharmacist August 2022

Immunizing Children Q& AWith the Experts by DR. CYNTHIA HICKS, PharmD, Executive Fellow

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, pharmacies have had an invaluable role in vaccinating adults against the virus. Lately, there has been a growing need for pharmacies to be involved in pediatric vaccinations. However, many community pharmacies aren't as accustomed to somany pint-sized patients. We decided to interviewDr. CalebWitt fromPharmax Pharmacy on best practices for immunizing children. Pharmax has given over 3,000 Covid-19 vaccinations to kids ages 5-11 both in-store and through several offsite school clinics. Q What are the some of the best practices for administering Covid vaccines to pediatric patients? A: The most important thing is to be prepared. Have online paperwork to fill out, set up appointments ahead of time, have your syringes already drawn up, and have chairs set out where you can give the shot in either the right or left arm. Decreasing the wait time helps lessen anxiety in the kids. You also want to incentivize the kids to want to get their vaccine. Having stickers, suckers, fun-colored bandages, friendly staff, and coloring pages for the wait after will all help put the kids at ease. Q What challenges have you faced? A: Kids are sometimes uncomfortable or unprepared to receive their shot. If they're fighting their parents, it's best to wait until the child is calmed down to give the shot. Younger kids should automatically be sitting in their parents' lap. Sometimes a kid needs more privacy, so it is good to have a separate room available. One screaming child can end up scaring all the others. Q Do you have any advice for keeping up with rapidly changing guidelines? A: The CDC has up to date information, constantly check that. Printed resources need to be updated often, almost every week, so you need to do that as soon as a guideline changes. Educating your staff and using technology tomanage patient screening can be helpful. You can also get updates fromwholesalers and other organizations you're involved in. Q Do you have any other advice for pharmacies wanting to get involved in pediatric vaccination? A: When scheduling clinics with schools, be flexible with the time of day for the clinic, each district will be different about when they need you there. Using online consent forms for the students helps keep the

forms fromgetting lost. We got assistance from school nurses so that the children could see a familiar face. When setting up a room for a clinic, it is best to have a "pass-through" flow and not an "in and out" flow. Some kids do better when their parents act confident and express their authority. Q Do you think the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the role of pharmacy immunization?

Dr. Cynthia Hicks, PharmD, is a Executive Fellow at the Missouri Pharmacy Association.

A: Yeah! It has changed for the better. It has changed both our role with the community and with providers. We stepped in when no one else was available in our community andmade an impact. Also, parents see that we are friendly, helpful caregivers and often are surprised how comfortable their kids are getting their shots here! There is a huge need for pharmacists vaccinating our kids right now! And, as you can see from our interview, there is a great opportunity to positively impact the view of pharmacy-based immunization. There are several differences to consider with the pediatric population, and figure 1 shows which Covid-19 vaccines are available for them. So, as you provide pediatric services in your pharmacy, keep these ideas inmind to help you create an effective strategy for vaccinating children!

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Covid-19 primary series vaccination for children and teens. Covid-19 Vaccine Recommendations for Children and Teens. Retrieved July 14, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/vaccines-children-teens.html.

28 Missouri PHARMACIST | Volume 96, Issue II | August 2022