Pharmacy profession unites to publish guiding principles for state policy on pharmacy personnel-administered vaccines

WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Pharmacy-based Vaccine Access Work Group, consisting of representatives from a diverse group of 12 organizations across pharmacy practice settings, jointly published guiding principles for state policy on pharmacy personnel–administered vaccines. This marks an unprecedented level of collaboration between pharmacy professionals, symbolizing a strong commitment from the field of pharmacy to national public health interests.

Pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy interns play a critical role in delivering timely, accessible, and reliable vaccination services to the public. However, in many states, the authority for pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and pharmacy interns to administer vaccines is tied directly to recommendations from federal bodies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), and/or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

As federal processes evolve, recommendations change, and advisory structures shift. Such references can create unintended legal and regulatory ambiguity, reduce flexibility, and delay access to newly authorized and existing vaccines. This can present significant challenges to pharmacy personnel administering vaccines as part of current standards of care through evidence-based decision making, greatly decreasing access to essential vaccinations and thus limiting patient autonomy in the decision to receive vaccines in line with practice standards.

The core principles proposed in this document aim to address ambiguity in state policymaking regarding pharmacy personnel–administered vaccines, ultimately improving access to essential vaccinations for all Americans and providing guidance for structuring payment for pharmacist-provided services.

State legislators are encouraged to eliminate rigidity in statutory requirements regarding ordering or administering vaccines, which may prevent patients from accessing vaccination. This includes promoting pharmacist authority to prescribe vaccines based on clinical expertise, thereby fostering a policy approach to vaccine administration that is grounded in evidence-based clinical recommendations and the pharmacist's own expertise.

Pharmacists have long served as essential vaccinators, standing as a convenient, affordable, and trusted option for patients to receive this essential preventative care. Pharmacy personnel are present within every community and without a cost barrier or appointment requirement. They are uniquely positioned to provide access to any patient seeking vaccination services. By establishing clear, flexible policy for pharmacy personnel–administered vaccines, policymakers can ensure that patients will not face disruption or delay in obtaining lifesaving immunizations, strengthening both individual and public health within the nation.

The co-signing organizations includes the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), the American Society of Consultant Pharmacists (ASCP), the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), CPESN USA, the Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA), the National Alliance of State Pharmacy Associations (NASPA), the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA), the National Pharmaceutical Association (NPhA), the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), and the Society of Infectious Disease Pharmacists (SIDP).

SOURCE American Pharmacists Association