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Abstract

Background: Pharmacy technicians are increasingly involved in immunization services, enhancing vaccine accessibility and reducing pharmacies’ workload. This scoping review aims to (1) provide a comprehensive overview of pharmacy technicians’ involvement in immunization services across various healthcare settings and countries, and (2) conduct a comparative analysis of training curricula for pharmacy technicians on immunization. Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the Arksey and O’Malley framework. A comprehensive search of the PubMed and Scopus databases was performed using keywords and MeSH terms such as “pharmacy technician(s)”, “immunization”, “vaccination”, “role”, and “involvement”. Studies included assessed pharmacy technicians’ roles in vaccine administration, training, and public health outcomes. Descriptive and thematic analyses were used to synthesize the findings. In addition, a supplementary analysis of immunization training curricula was conducted, reviewing programs from different countries to identify similarities, differences, and gaps in course structure, content, and delivery formats. Lastly, a comprehensive toolkit was developed, offering guidelines intended to facilitate the implementation of immunization training programs. Results: A total of 35 articles met the inclusion criteria, primarily from the United States of America (n = 30), Canada (n = 2), Ethiopia (n = 1), Denmark (n = 1) and United Kingdom (n = 1). The findings indicate that pharmacy technicians contribute significantly to vaccine administration, patient education, and workflow optimization, particularly in community pharmacies. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated their involvement in immunization programs. Key challenges include regulatory barriers, a lack of standardized training, and resistance from other healthcare professionals. Facilitators include legislative support (e.g., the PREP Act), structured training programs, and collaborative pharmacist–technician models. Conclusions: Pharmacy technicians can play a vital role in expanding immunization services, improving vaccine uptake, and reducing pharmacist workload. Addressing regulatory inconsistencies, enhancing training, and fostering interprofessional collaboration are crucial for their effective integration of immunization programs. Since immunization by pharmacy technicians is not yet allowed in many EU countries, this review will provide a foundational basis to address their potential to support the healthcare workforce and improve access to immunization services.

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1009240
Business indexing term
Title
Pharmacy Technicians in Immunization Services: Mapping Roles and Responsibilities Through a Scoping Review
Author
Valeiro Carolina 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Silva, Vítor 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Balteiro Jorge 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Patterson, Diane 4 ; Bezerra Gilberto 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Mealiff, Karen 4 ; Matos Cristiano 1   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ângelo, Jesus 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Joaquim João 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

 European Association of Pharmacy Technicians, B-1080 Brussels, Belgium; [email protected] (C.V.); [email protected] (C.M.) 
 Unidade Local de Saúde de Coimbra, EPE, 3004-561 Coimbra, Portugal; [email protected] 
 Escola Superior de Tecnologia da Saúde, Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, 3046-854 Coimbra, Portugal; [email protected] 
 Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Biotechnology, Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest, Dublin Road, N37 HD68 Athlone, Ireland; [email protected] (D.P.); [email protected] (G.B.); [email protected] (K.M.) 
 LAQV/REQUIMTE, Escola Superior de Saúde, Instituto Politécnico do Porto, 4200-072 Porto, Portugal; [email protected] 
Publication title
Healthcare; Basel
Volume
13
Issue
15
First page
1862
Number of pages
23
Publication year
2025
Publication date
2025
Publisher
MDPI AG
Place of publication
Basel
Country of publication
Switzerland
Publication subject
e-ISSN
22279032
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
Document type
Journal Article
Publication history
 
 
Online publication date
2025-07-30
Milestone dates
2025-06-07 (Received); 2025-07-29 (Accepted)
Publication history
 
 
   First posting date
30 Jul 2025
ProQuest document ID
3239025233
Document URL
https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/pharmacy-technicians-immunization-services/docview/3239025233/se-2?accountid=208611
Copyright
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.
Last updated
2026-01-16
Database
2 databases
  • Coronavirus Research Database
  • ProQuest One Academic