Pharmacists Deliver Far More RSV Vaccines Than Doctors, Leading to Burn-Out

As the respiratory virus season comes to an end in the United States, it's important to note that the majority of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines were administered by pharmacists in 2023 and 2024.

Despite dealing with their traditional flu shot workload, pharmacists had to administer new RSV vaccines, leaving them frustrated with the lack of time to consult with patients.

As of February 3, 2024, an estimated 9.36 million RSV doses were administered in pharmacies and 291,599 in physician medical offices.

Recent U.S. CDC vaccine committee discussions indicate that a third vaccine may soon become available for the 2024-2025 RSV season.

It's concerning to note that previous studies indicate that around 50% of pharmacists experience burnout due to overwhelming work demands.

Furthermore, currently available RSV vaccines that require reconstitution impact pharmacists' level of satisfaction.

However, recent studies suggest that prefilled syringes (PFS) could be the solution that pharmacists need.

According to these studies, pharmacists prefer PFS because they require half the administration time and reduce waste.

It's clear to many healthcare providers that PFS could be a real-world solution for the increasing number of vaccinations pharmacists deliver.

"As a pharmacist, I can empathize with the tremendous workload of administering seasonal vaccinations that protect patients from infectious diseases – while still fulfilling the other critical responsibilities of the job. COVID-19 and RSV vaccines have significantly increased the number of vaccines pharmacists administer. Yet, we have fewer experts to put shots in arms, and we're seeing staffing shortages and considerable burnout," said Madina Ghazanfar, PharmD, Medical Science Liaison at Moderna US, in an email to Precision Vaccinations.

"In order to ease this strain, pharmacists deserve efficient, reliable, and convenient tools that enable them to streamline workflows."

"Prefilled syringes, which have the correct dosage ready for injection without drawing or mixing, mitigate medication errors and are one of the most effective ways industry partners can deliver products that have pharmacists in mind."

Moderna Inc.'s RSV vaccine candidate uses mRNA to build on the advancements made in RSV research over the last decade. The mRNA-1345 vaccine prevents RSV-associated lower respiratory tract and acute respiratory disease in adults 60 years or older.

The Company hopes that one day, this vaccine will help make the fall respiratory virus season more manageable.