The Role of Pharmacists in Ensuring the Vaccines for Children Program Thrives
In Part 1 of our series about Vaccines for Children (VFC), we shared how this program established by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) benefits doctors, patients and pharmacists by providing free vaccines to children in need.
In Part 2 of this series, we will cover problems associated with the inadequate storage and the handling of vaccines, recommendations on vaccine storage from the CDC and Society of Hospital Pharmacists, and the critical role that pharmacists play.The CDC was established in 1994 and estimates that the vaccination of children born between 1994 and 2013 will:
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Prevent 322 million illnesses
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Help avoid 732,000 deaths
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Save nearly $1.4 trillion in costs to society
While it’s true that any person authorized in a state to prescribe vaccines can become a VFC provider; special care must be given to ensure hospitals and pharmacies are able to properly store all vaccines in genuine pharmacy-grade refrigerators and not unreliable consumer-grade refrigerators.
The Growing Epidemic of Poorly Stored Vaccines
A news article titled "Bad refrigerator storage threatens vaccines in Hong Kong, say medical experts" revealed that up to 80 percent of vaccines given to children in Hong Kong may be ineffective due to improper storage in poor-performing consumer refrigerators.
What’s worse is that many disease specialists believe that if a cosmopolitan city like Hong Kong is guilty of using bad refrigerators, so are thousands of other hospitals and pharmacies in cities throughout the world — thus increasing the potential for a deadly and devastating disease outbreak with global consequences.
The Society of Hospital Pharmacists and CDC Warn Against Using Consumer Refrigerators
William Chui Chun-Ming, President of the Society of Hospital Pharmacists, has declared that inconsistent temperatures in domestic refrigerators cause vaccines to lose their ability to protect.
He maintains that unlike professional-grade pharmacy refrigerators, the temperature variations in domestic refrigerators are large, with temperatures rising quickly the moment the door is opened.
The CDC agreed with Chun-Ming and stated that domestic fridges are “crude” and their “inaccurate” temperature settings and fluctuations lead to:
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Reduced vaccine potency and protection against disease
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Increased global risks of death and devastation caused by disease
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Decreased patient confidence in vaccines and providers
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Increased costs caused by unusable vaccines and ensuing revaccinations
Furthermore, hospital pharmacists are in a unique position to guard against using the wrong types of refrigerators, thereby ensuring the success of the Vaccines for Children program.
Meeting the Storage Requirements of the VFC
In Part 3 of this series, we will cover specific storage requirements and recommendations from the CDC that all VFC participants must follow in order to become or remain a vaccine provider. Topics covered include, qualifying refrigerator types, temperature settings, and more.
Ask an Expert About the VFC Requirements
If you’re unsure about whether or not your current drug storage solutions meet the VFC requirements, be sure to read this entire three-part series, or feel free to contact me at dculham@intelliguardrfid.com.
