Administration, Billing, and Payment for Pharmacy Student-Based Immunizations to Medicare Beneficiaries at Mobile Medicare Clinics

• Main Authors: Joseph A. Woelfel, Edward L. Rogan, Rajul A. Patel, Winnie Ho, Hong Van Nguyen, Emily Highsmith, Claire Chang, Nhat-Thanh Nguyen, Morgan Sato, Daniel Nguyen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-02-01
• Series: Pharmacy
• Subjects: immunization programs; mobile health units; experiential learning; billing; healthy people 2020
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4787/7/1/22

Training student pharmacists to administer vaccinations requires a substantial investment in vaccines, supplies, and time. Few schools of pharmacy seek out or receive any reimbursement for the provision of vaccines, despite the fact it is a covered service. This study sought to implement, deliver, and demonstrate an innovative, financially sustainable curriculum-based immunization program by trained pharmacy students as part of their experiential learning. Thirty-nine community health clinics targeting Medicare beneficiaries were conducted throughout Northern/Central California during Medicare’s fall open enrollment periods between 2014⁻2016. American Pharmacists Association (APhA)-trained student pharmacists (under licensed pharmacist supervision) administered 1777 vaccinations. Vaccines were billed via a secure Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)-compliant web-based portal. The total net income was $11,905 and $8032 for 2015 and 2016, respectively. Return on investment was greatest for the influenza vaccine > Tdap > pneumococcal. Pharmacy students are already being trained to provide immunizations and can utilize their skills to deliver financially viable public health programs.