Expansion of community pharmacies' role in public vaccine delivery to children: Opportunities and need.

Despite the positive impact pharmacists have had on access to vaccines, only a limited number of community pharmacists and pharmacies are able to participate in most federal- and state-supported vaccine programs. In this commentary we (1) review vaccination services currently provided by community pharmacists in the United States, (2) highlight regulatory, reimbursement, and role-based barriers to community pharmacists' participation in the vaccines for children (VFC) program, a cornerstone program to support vaccinations of children in the United States, and (3) suggest changes to support and improve VFC participation for all health care providers. For the purposes of this commentary, community pharmacies are defined as retail pharmacies not associated with a health care system, hospital, or clinic.

A Demand for Data to Improve Outcomes Creates the Why to Move to Third Generation Immunization Information Systems.

Investments over the past two decades to collect and store immunization events established a national population health data asset. The ability to track vaccine usage and storage has increased accountability, lowered wastage, protected valuable resources, and provided the correct vaccines at the right time. Sixty-four immunization registries support the current immunization ecosystem, yet all investments to date have been through state and federal funding.