Panel Paper:
Are State Laws Granting Pharmacists Authority to Vaccinate Associated with HPV Vaccination Rates
*Names in bold indicate Presenter
Objective
We explored whether state laws allowing pharmacists to administer human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccinations to adolescents are associated with a higher likelihood of HPV vaccine uptake.
Methods
We examined provider-reported HPV vaccination among 13 to 17 year olds in the National Immunization Survey-Teen: 2008-2014 for girls (N=48,754) and 2010-2014 for boys (N=31,802). Outcome variables were HPV vaccine initiation (³1 dose) and completion (³3 doses). The explanatory variable of interest was a categorical variable for the type of pharmacist authority regarding HPV vaccination for adolescents (< 18 years) in the state: not permitted (reference), by prescription, by collaborative practice protocol, or independent authority. We ran separate difference-in-difference regression models by sex.
Results
During 2008-2014, 15 states passed laws allowing pharmacists to administer HPV vaccine to adolescents. Pharmacist authority laws were not statistically significantly associated with increased HPV vaccine initiation or completion.
Conclusions
As currently implemented, state laws allowing pharmacists to administer HPV vaccine to adolescents were not associated with uptake. Promotion of this additional option to parents and expansion of pharmacists’ third-party billing ability could improve the effectiveness of these laws.
