A Cross-Sectional Study of Vaccination-Related Education in Pharmacy Programs in the Middle East

Abstract

Objective: Pharmacists play pivotal roles in improving vaccination rates. However, absence of vaccination-related undergraduate education impedes their ability for these roles. The study aims were to scope vaccination-related education in pharmacy colleges in the Middle East (ME) and to describe potential facilitators and barriers to vaccination administration education using Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Methods: A multinational survey of pharmacy faculty across 14 Arabic-speaking ME countries, involving 132 colleges, examined vaccination education. Data collection involved contacting deans for faculty nominations. Data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Results: The questionnaire response rate was 64.7% (89/132), with 89.9% of colleges including vaccination in their curricula. The topics commonly covered included vaccine development (n = 44, 97.8%), vaccine routes of administration (n = 43, 97.7%), and vaccine indications (n = 38, 95%). Planning and marketing vaccination programs (n = 35, 77.8%), documentation and record-keeping of vaccinations (n = 33, 75.0%), and legal and regulatory issues related to vaccinations (n = 32, 69.6%) were the least adequately covered topics. Most common methods used in teaching were didactic lectures (n = 74, 92.5%). Overall, 53 of 87 respondents (60.9%) responded that their college does not currently teach "vaccination administration". Lack of resources, attitudes of other health professionals and not prioritizing vaccination were considered as barriers for implementing vaccination administration. Conclusion: Most pharmacy colleges in the ME cover vaccination-related topics in undergraduate curricula, yet they underemphasize vaccination administration and lack experiential learning methods. Implementing vaccination administration education requires addressing barriers related to the outer and inner settings, and planning, with stakeholder engagement.