Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #122062

Jeanine Mount, PhD, RPh, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 777 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705-2222, 608-262-8678, jkmount@pharmacy.wisc.edu

Public health roles of pharmacists have changed significantly in recent years. Two areas of special focus are immunization delivery and emergency preparedness and response. Over the past decade, laws in many States have been revised to permit expanded pharmacists' involvement in vaccine administration. This has introduced new ways for pharmacists to participate in a traditional area of public health activity and has coincided with efforts to engage pharmacists in evolving emergency response systems. This paper will discuss the scope of practice supported in current pharmacy education and practice and summarize recent changes in State laws that have expanded pharmacists' roles in public health activities. Results of a national study of emergency response roles that pharmacists are playing at national, state and local levels will be presented. Factors that facilitate and/or hamper pharmacists' participation in emergency and non-emergency public health activities will be explored. Implications and prospects for future development will be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe how contemporary pharmacy education/training and how recent changes in State law support expanded public health roles for pharmacists.
• Discuss current and potential roles of pharmacists in emergency response systems, including the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS), the National Pharmacist Response Team (NPRT), and the National Incident Response System (NIMS).
• Identify 3 factors that currently limit pharmacists’ contribution to public health activities.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation