Romanian Society of Pharmaceutical Sciences
 

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VACCINATION IN COMMUNITY PHARMACIES – A GLOBAL REVIEW AND THE ROMANIAN OPPORTUNITY

CORNELIU-FLORIN BUICU 1, IULIU MOLDOVAN 1, CORNELIA TITIANA COTOI 2, ANDREEA-LUCIANA CHIOTOROIU 3*, RALUCA ELISABETA MOISI 4, ALEXANDRU RAFILA 4

1.Department of Public Health and Management, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Târgu Mureş, 38 Gheorghe Marinescu Street, 540139, Târgu Mureş, Romania
2 .University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Târgu Mureş, Romania
3 .PhD student, University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Târgu Mureş, Romania
4 .“Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania; National Society of Microbiology, Bucharest, Romania
*corresponding author: andreea_chiotoroiu@yahoo.com

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Vaccination represents a very important global health concern, at this time being the most effective method of immunization. Growing the vaccination rate has become a target in many countries because over the years the statistical data showed a significant decrease in the number of preventable deaths through vaccination. In developing countries, vaccination is a form of public health protection against more than 20 infectious diseases. Medical science is in continuing development and new vaccines continue to appear, the most recent being against rotavirus and papillomavirus. The techniques of achieving this target are different from country to country, but a trend that extends the role of community pharmacies in vaccination is attracting more states. Argentina, South Africa, the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Portugal, Ireland, Australia, Switzerland and France offer community pharmacists the possibility to administrate vaccines under certain conditions. Although in Romania vaccination in pharmacies is regulated by the modified and republished Pharmacy Law 266/2008, in practice this is not yet possible due to the lack of implementing regulations. Good practice examples from all these states show that such measure possible. Expanding the role of Romanian community pharmacies in vaccination could raise the vaccination rates. In the last years, Romania has experienced a significant decrease in the number of vaccinated people that has led to an increase in epidemics in the country. In order to accomplish the objectives of The Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP) initiated by WHO, Romania should follow the example of all these states and implement vaccination in community pharmacies, because this will increase the number of providers of vaccination services, therefore population enjoying access to fair information and vaccination programs.