The impact of pharmacist immunization programs on adult immunization rates: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Objectives To estimate the impact that pharmacist immunization programs have on immunization rates. Data sources Pubmed, Ovid/Medline, and Google Scholar were searched. References were checked and citation searches using identified studies conducted. Study selection Studies were eligible for the systematic review and meta-analysis if the study compared pharmacist as immunizer versus usual care. Any study design that involved a comparison group was acceptable. Data extraction Data were extracted by 2 investigators independently with the use of a standardized data extraction form; any differences were resolved by consensus. Results A total of 8 studies with 11 study arms met inclusion criteria. A wide variety of immunizations were provided, including influenza, herpes zoster, pneumococcal, Tdap, hepatitis A and B, MMR, varicella, meningococcal, and human papillomavirus. Immunizations were provided in a variety of settings, including hospitals, single community sites, multiple sites, and a university. The overall risk ratio (RR) for immunizations was 2.95 ( P