In this episode of Healthcare Matters, our hosts dive into the impact of pharmacy reimbursement on vaccination rates with guest Vibhu Tewary, researcher and

Project Director at IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science. Through discussing a recent study, they reveal how a modest increase in reimbursement can lead to higher flu vaccination rates among Medicaid-covered adults. The episode also touches on the role of pharmacies in public health, the need for policy reform to enhance vaccine accessibility, and the potential for future research to further improve public health outcomes.

Among the highlights in this episode:

01:50: Vibhu shares his background in public health and policy, emphasizing his commitment to impactful research for patient access and health care improvements 

04:21: Vibhu discusses the key findings from a 2023 paper that highlighted pharmacies as major vaccination sites, with over 90% of COVID-19 vaccinations for adults provided through pharmacies in 2021 and 2022

06:24: Dr. Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF, discusses the need to harmonize state laws to allow pharmacists to immunize more adults, addressing the disparities in pharmacy access and emphasizing the cost effectiveness of pharmacy-administered vaccinations

08:36: Dr. Popovian and Vibhu delve into the recent report co-authored by GHLF and IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science that establishes a direct link between increased pharmacy reimbursement rates and higher flu vaccination rates among Medicaid-covered adults 

You can find the full report at https://www.iqvia.com/insights/the-iqvia-institute/reports-and-publications/reports/trends-in-adult-vaccination-in-the-us

10:24: Vibhu outlines the methodology and key findings of the study, demonstrating that a $13 increase in reimbursement could lead to a six-percentage point increase in vaccination rates, consistent across gender and race

13:50: Dr. Popovian suggests aligning Medicaid reimbursement rates for vaccinations with those of Medicare to address disparities in vaccination access among underserved populations

15:28: Dr. Popovian and Vibhu discuss potential areas for future research, including the role of pharmacists in vaccine distribution, patient awareness, and addressing health equity in adult vaccination

18:17: Dr. Popovian shares some final thoughts

Contact Our Hosts

Dr. Robert Popovian, Chief Science Policy Officer at GHLF: rpopovian@ghlf.org

Ben Blanc, Associate Director, Digital Production and Engagement at GHLF: bblanc@ghlf.org

A podcast series produced by Ben Blanc.

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