Improving HPV vaccination using implementation strategies in community pharmacies: Pilot study protocol

Abstract Background Nearly 80 million people in the United States have contracted the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), and it is currently the most common sexually transmitted disease. Each year approximately 14 million people are newly infected. Objective(s) This study will address increasing the HPV vaccination rates by initiating a research agenda focusing on how best to utilize community pharmacies as Vaccines For Children (VFC) vaccination sites. Community pharmacies are highly accessible when compared to traditional vaccination sites due to extended evening and weekend business hours, no copays for visits, and no appointment required to speak with a pharmacist. Methods We will conduct a Developmental Formative Evaluation using semi-structured interviews with key informants (pharmacists, pharmacy managers, technicians) from 5 Harps pharmacies to identify barriers and facilitators to community pharmacies’ provision of HPV vaccine through a mixed methods design with pharmacy staff members and local physicians. We will follow that by selecting a pharmacist-physician collaborative model and identify implementation strategies through an Evidence Based Quality Improvement (EBQI) process with key stakeholders. This will be followed by piloting the selected pharmacist-physician collaborative model and implementation strategies in two Harps pharmacies (1 rural, 1 urban) on relevant implementation outcomes. Project impact This study will examine the current model of HPV vaccinations and how to improve HPV vaccination rates among adolescents by utilizing community pharmacy services.