Patient Perspective: Vaccines for Older People.

Pharmacists, as one of the most accessible health care professionals in the community, can educate, promote, and administer vaccinations. Immunizations are an important way to protect communities from potentially severe diseases, including COVID-19, influenza, pneumonia, shingles, hepatitis, and monkeypox. Though adults 65 years of age and older tend to have higher vaccination rates than other age groups, there are health care disparities that exist in relation to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality. Vaccine hesitancy and misconceptions cause concerns in older people that can challenge both vaccine administration and rates. Other concerns for older people are the cost, safety, and side effects of vaccines. In addition, updated vaccine guidelines were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in early 2023 that affect recommendations for influenza, COVID-19, and pneumonia vaccines. Older people are at higher risk for severe illness, making immunizations especially important in this patient population. Pharmacists can play a pivotal role in health promotion by staying up to date on immunization guidelines and addressing barriers to vaccination.

Experiential Pharmacy Education During a Pandemic: Lessons Learned.

The COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed how the world operates and introduced a multitude of unprecedented challenges for all health professionals, especially for those responsible for training learners, including pharmacy residents and students. Due to density and social distancing restrictions, many pharmacy schools and residency programs had to transition to virtual experiential learning-with little to no existing literature, structure, or adequate time for planning. This article offers a variety of approaches to ensure that pharmacy learners meet accreditation requirements, engage in interprofessional education and collaboration, reflect on their learning, prioritize self-care, and are adequately prepared to enter geriatric pharmacy practice despite current challenges with the COVID-19 pandemic. Authors address both challenges, as well as opportunities to expand future experiential education for all pharmacy learners.