Pharmacists' Answer to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Contribution of the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program to COVID-19 vaccination across Sociodemographic Characteristics-United States

Background: The Federal Retail Pharmacy Program (FRPP) integrated pharmacies as partners in the national effort to maximize vaccination during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Objective: The objective of this study was to quantify the contribution of pharmacies participating in FRPP to COVID-19 vaccination efforts during December 2020-September 2023 across sociodemographic groups in the United States.

Methods: Data on COVID-19 vaccine doses administered reported to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by FRPP and jurisdictional immunization information systems of all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories were analyzed to estimate FRPP contributions.

Results: Approximately 314.9 million COVID-19 vaccine doses were administered by FRPP throughout this period, constituting 48.9% of all COVID-19 vaccine doses administered. FRPP contributions to COVID-19 vaccination ranged from 12.9% to 56.8% for persons aged 6 months-4 years and 12-17 years, respectively. FRPP made the highest contribution to administering COVID-19 doses to Non-Hispanic Asian (48.7%) and Hispanic/Latino (49.8%) persons. The proportion of COVID-19 doses given by FRPP pharmacies was found to be higher in urban areas (57%) compared with rural areas (45%).

Conclusion: FRPP administered a substantial proportion of COVID-19 vaccine doses in the United States and provided vaccine access for persons across a wide range of groups. Pharmacies can complement vaccination efforts during public health emergency situations and in routine vaccination programs.