The revised Guidelines for Pharmacy-based Immunization Advocacy and Administration were approved by the APhA Board of Trustees in 2019. Following is background on these guidelines.

History - At the 1996 APhA Annual Meeting held in Nashville, Tennessee, the House of Delegates adopted policy encouraging pharmacists to take an active role in increasing the rate of immunizations among vulnerable patient populations. This role could be fulfilled by pharmacists’ becoming educators, facilitators, or immunizers of the public.

APhA has invested many resources in the development of education, advocacy, practice support, and scientific programs related to the role of pharmacists in increasing the rate of immunizations. These activities have assisted the profession to develop collaborative relationships with other health professionals and to highlight the pharmacist’s position within the health care system.

In response to a call by pharmacists and other entities for assistance in developing these expanded roles, a set of draft guidelines were developed. These proposed guidelines were presented as a New Business Item to the APhA House of Delegates at the 1997 Annual Meeting held in Los Angeles, California. The House referred the guidelines to the Board for the solicitation of further input and the adoption of a set of guidelines that would assist pharmacists in incorporating immunization activities into their practice. After receiving input from pharmacists, and other health care providers and organizations, the APhA Board of Trustees approved the following guidelines.

The guidelines are a dynamic document and will be periodically reviewed as the health care arena changes. The guidelines were reviewed in 2012 and reviewed and revised through the APhA–APPM Immunizing Pharmacists SIG and public comment period in 2018. Final approval of the revised document was made by the APhA Board of Trustees on January 26, 2019.