WISCONSIN PHARMACY FOUNDATION INC

THE WISCONSIN PHARMACY FOUNDATION IS A NON-PROFIT, TAX-EXEMPT ORGANIZATION TO SUPPORT AND PURSUE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AND RESEARCH PROGRAMS TO ADVANCE THE SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF PHARMACY.WORKING IN COORDINATION WITH THE PHARMACY SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN, THE FOUNDATION PROMOTES INNOVATION TO ACCELERATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF LEADERS AND THE WORKFORCE THAT ADVANCE PHARMACY.HWPP/AHW - PROMOTING WISCONSIN INFLUENZA VACCINE EQUITY THROUGH PHARMACY ENGAGEMENT - USING A POPULATION HEALTH APPROACH, THIS PROGRAM INVESTIGATED AND ADDRESSED LOW INFLUENZA VACCINATION RATES AMONG ALL PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN AGED 6 MONTHS AND OLDER. ENGAGED PARTNERS CHARACTERIZED INFLUENZA VACCINE BARRIERS AND FACILITATORS. SIX INDIVIDUAL INTERVIEWS AND THREE FOCUS GROUPS WERE COMPLETED AND TRANSCRIBED TO IDENTIFY THEMES. WISCONSIN IMMUNIZATION REGISTRY (WIR) DATA FROM THE 2022-2023 INFLUENZA VACCINE SEASON WERE RECEIVED. DATA WAS ANALYZED BY COUNTY, AGE, GENDER, RACE/ETHNICITY, AND SITE OF ADMINISTRATION TO CHARACTERIZE THE INVOLVEMENT BY PHARMACIES IN VACCINATION EFFORTS. THEMES AND WIR DATA WERE SUMMARIZED AND PRESENTED TO TWO DISTINCT IMMUNIZATION GROUPS. TO ADDRESS LOW VACCINATION RATES, HWPP FACILITATED THE TRAINING AND ENGAGEMENT OF PHARMACIST AND PHARMACY TECHNICIAN VACCINATORS IN THE STATE OF WISCONSIN. DURING THE PROGRAM, 15 ADDITIONAL PHARMACISTS AND 65 PHARMACY TECHNICIANS COMPLETED THE IMMUNIZATION CERTIFICATE PROGRAM. DIDACTIC CONTINUING EDUCATION SESSIONS WERE PROVIDED EMPHASIZING MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING, HEALTH LITERACY, AND VACCINE HESITANCY AND VACCINE EQUITY. ADDITIONALLY, PARTNERING WITH THREE COMMUNITY PHARMACIES AND THREE COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IN THREE DISTINCT COUNTIES ACROSS WISCONSIN RESULTED IN SUPPORTING 20 PLACE-BASED EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS ABOUT VACCINES IN A CULTURALLY COMPETENT MANNER.MOBILIZING COMMUNITIES FOR A JUST RESPONSE - THIS PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED PHARMACIST-PROVIDED, COMMUNITY-BASED, CULTURALLY SENSITIVE VACCINE AND IMMUNIZATION EDUCATION. EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS WERE PROVIDED AS PART OF REGULARLY SCHEDULED EVENTS AND ROUTINE OPERATING PRACTICES OF THE PARTNERING COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS (CBOS) (E.G., COMMUNITY PICNICS, HEALTH FAIRS, HEALTH RISK ASSESSMENTS, HMONG NEW YEAR, DIABETES SUPPORT GROUP, FOOD PANTRY, COMMUNITY DINNERS, AND A HOLIDAY GIFT EXCHANGE/PARTY). THIS PROGRAM INCLUDED PARTNERING WITH SIX COMMUNITY PHARMACIES AND SIX CBOS ACROSS FOUR DISTINCT COUNTIES WITHIN WISCONSIN. A TOTAL OF 58 EDUCATIONAL SESSIONS WERE CONDUCTED ACROSS THE SIX DAYS. PARTNERS PARTICIPATED IN NINE COHORT MEETINGS, FACILITATED BY THE WPF/PSW STAFF, TO COLLABORATIVELY DISCUSS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES. IMPLEMENTING THIS INTEGRATED EDUCATIONAL MODEL INTO THE COMMUNITY, BUILT TRUST AND SUPPORTED SUSTAINABILITY, FACILITATED BI-DIRECTIONAL COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE CBOS AND PHARMACIES WHILE CONTINUING TO IMPROVE PARTICIPANT HEALTH LITERACY, CREATED A PHARMACY HOME AND ULTIMATELY DECREASED VACCINE HESITANCY TO IMPROVE VACCINATION RATES IN UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS.DECKER-TEMPLE LEADERSHIP PHARMACY CONFERENCE - PROVIDE CONFERENCE PARTICIPANTS WITH STRONG LEADERSHIP TRAINING. INCREASE AWARENESS OF ISSUES IMPACTING THE PROFESSION OF PHARMACY NATIONALLY AND IN THEIR OWN STATE. ENCOURAGE THE INVOLVEMENT OF ALL NEW PRACTITIONERS IN PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES. DEVELOP NEW PRACTITIONERS FOR LEADERSHIP POSITIONS WITHIN THE PROFESSION.