I need help answering patient questions about the H1N1 flu vaccine

Do you have a question for Melanie Rantucci? Click hereView other questions and answers about patient/pharmacist exchange: Click hereQuestion: Now that the H1N1 flu vaccine is being distributed, I am getting a lot of questions about whether people should be vaccinated. The fact is, I’m not sure if I will take it myself—and I’ve been saying as much. Is there anything more appropriate I can say and still feel like I’m being honest?Answer: There is an urgent need for pharmacists to be able to discuss getting a flu shot with their patients. Instead, I am hearing them say “I don’t know” or admitting they are not sure about getting it for themselves. I don’t think this is the most appropriate response from health professionals given that this is a serious health threat. A combination of poor information and apathy on behalf of some pharmacists has certainly contributed to this. While some pharmacists are against or undecided about getting flu shots themselves, they need to put their professional responsibility first and be prepared to help patients make their own decisions. These kinds of decisions are very hard for the public to make and they need a professional to help them weigh the pros and cons. I see this as an ideal role for pharmacists and a challenge they should be stepping up to take.It may be time-consuming to talk to patients about H1N1, but thinking about the issue ahead of time and being prepared to discuss it should help. An even better approach would be to write some information down ahead of time, using reliable website content. There is certainly some good information on government websites for pharmacists to look at. Be sure to keep up to date with this information daily. You can also direct patients to reputable consumer websites as there is a lot of misleading information online.The most important thing is to help people look at the pros and cons. Are they in the high-risk group or in close contact with those who are? Have they gotten the flu vaccine before and what did they experience? This is a similar vaccine and you can reassure them that it will not make them sick as it is not a live vaccine. Ask them what their concerns are and try to clarify misconceptions. You don’t have to feel conflicted if you are not getting the vaccine because it is a personal decision depending on circumstances. If patients ask you directly you should be honest.Finally, be prepared to give patients information about vaccination programs in your community as well as local flu information. You may have to dig for this information yourselves, but your patients will thank you. Pharmacists are an important part of community health, even if other health professionals don’t always see us that way. Here’s a chance to show the public and other health professionals the significant role we play. More importantly, you may prevent a lot of illness and perhaps some deaths.Experts are available on a variety of pharmacy-related topics. Click here

I need help answering patient questions about the H1N1 flu vaccine

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