August is National Immunization Awareness Month and it’s a great opportunity to educate your patients and promote immunizations at your pharmacy.
As you know, immunizations are an important part of health care for patients of all ages. They protect patients against everything from the chickenpox to shingles, and your pharmacy can help.
By making patients aware that you provide immunization services, your pharmacy can help boost your community’s immunization rates and overall health. This month is a perfect opportunity to conduct promotions and events that spread information about your immunization services.
Here are some easy ways to promote your pharmacy’s immunization services this month—and all year.
1. Create signage
Inform your patients about your immunization services with signage in your pharmacy. Patients will notice the signage when they’re waiting on prescriptions or browsing your front end, and it just might inspire them to get immunized. Place educational signage in your waiting area, on your windows and at the pharmacy counter.
Use your signs to:
- List the immunizations your pharmacy provides
- Explain what the immunizations you offer protect against
- Instruct patients on who should receive what immunizations (and when)
2. Build relationships with doctors
Visit your local doctors’ offices this month and share information about your pharmacy’s immunization program.
Build on your relationships with local doctors and discuss how you can free up their time to see more patients if they refer patients to you for their immunization needs.
If it feels appropriate, ask if you can leave pamphlets or flyers in their offices that explain your pharmacy’s immunization offerings.
3. Go social
Tweeting on Twitter and posting on Facebook are great ways to spread information about immunizations.
Plus, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has made it easy for you. HHS has compiled resources, information and sample tweets that share important information about immunizations.
Tweet or post something from this list regularly, or write your own posts about immunizations.
4. Partner with a health center
Consider partnering with a local health center to organize a free or low-cost immunization clinic. (Flu shot clinics are always a hit!)
If the event goes well, consider expanding your reach and offering these clinics to other local businesses.
5. Distribute immunization cards
Promote your immunization services by stuffing vaccination record cards in your pharmacy bags that go out with each prescription.
When you’re counseling patients, also explain how vaccination record cards can help them keep track of the immunizations they’ve received and when they received them.
Include helpful facts and phone numbers on the vaccination cards (or on a separate sheet of paper,) so patients can use this resource for years to come.
6. Work with schools
Partner with local schools to host educational events for parents about the importance of immunizing their kids and scheduling immunizations at a proper time. Parent teacher associations are good ones to get in touch with.
If your school district hasn’t started yet, consider asking if you can set up a table at your school’s back-to-school night to talk to parents about the immunizations their kids need and to let them know how your pharmacy can help.
For more information, ideas and resources on how you can celebrate National Immunization Awareness Month at your pharmacy, check out the National Immunization Awareness Month Toolkit put together by HHS.
