A Hospital-Based Pharmacy Intervention Program for Pneumococcal Vaccination

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Abstract
EACH YEAR disease due to Streptococcus pneumoniae accounts for 40000 deaths and more than $4 billion in treatment costs in the United States.1,2 To lessen the impact from these infections, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) advocates pneumococcal vaccination for persons 2 years of age or older with chronic illness or immunosuppression and for all persons 65 years of age or older.2 Based on these recommendations, at least 20% of the US population needs vaccination: 23 million persons with chronic illness and 33 million persons 65 years of age or older.3 Vaccination rates, however, have remained persistently low. Despite recent gains, the latest surveys indicate that only 28.7% of persons 65 years of age or older and 5% to 7% of younger persons with chronic illnesses or immunosuppression have been vaccinated.4,5 These percentages lag well behind the Public Health Service–published goal of 60% pneumococcal (and influenza) vaccination rates among vaccine-eligible persons by the year 2000.2 Finally, the rapid emergence of drug-resistant S pneumoniae organisms presents new therapeutic challenges for physicians and reemphasizes the need for aggressive promotion of pneumococcal vaccination.6