Lived Experiences of Community Pharmacists in Their Participation in Vaccination Rollouts
Keywords:
Vaccination, Rollouts, Community Pharmacists, COVID-19, Pandemic, San Fernando City, Pampanga, Lived ExperiencesAbstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant threats to almost all sectors in countries, prompting governments worldwide to implement measures aimed at addressing the increasing number of COVID-19 cases. These measures include the inclusion of community pharmacists as vaccinators in vaccination rollouts facilitated by health institutions and agencies.
Objectives: Exploring the lived experiences of community pharmacists in their participation in vaccination rollouts in San Fernando City, Pampanga.
Methods: The research method employed in this study is a qualitative design, specifically phenomenological inquiry. It was used to gather data on the personal perspectives and lived experiences of community pharmacists in participating in the vaccination rollouts. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted to collect data, and thematic analysis was employed to interpret the results.
Results: The study participants are a balance of males and females with an age range of 28-55 years old. It was found that the majority of the participants perceived vaccination rollouts as an opportunity to experience fulfilling roles of vaccinators. However, hesitancy and fear of exposure to the COVID-19 virus were the struggles they encountered.
Conclusion: This study highlighted the role of community pharmacists during the COVID-19 vaccination rollouts. Results serve as the basis for the Community-based Pharmacy "One-Stop Vaccine" proposal framework for pharmacies to adopt in providing services, specifically vaccination services among their patients in the community.
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