Background: Pharmacists can offer medication expertise to help better control diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and improve patient outcomes, particularly in rural communities. This project evaluated the impact of an awareness campaign on perceptions of expanded pharmacy services. Methods: The “Your Pharmacists Knows” campaign included a 30-s commercial, print material, and media announcements. A non-randomized pre-post study was completed using a modified theory of planned behavior (mTPB) to assess knowledge, attitude, perceived benefits and norms, and perceived control. A 73-item survey was administered to a convenience sample (n = 172) across South Dakota. Regression models to assess intent and utilization were conducted using age, gender, race, education, population, and insurance status as predictors for mTPB constructs. Results: Most common predictors were female gender and higher education level (p < 0.001). All mTPB constructs were significant predictors of intent to use services (p < 0.001). Knowledge and perceived control had the largest influence on intent. Additionally, there was significant improvement in post-campaign service utilization (p < 0.001). Conclusions: This campaign positively influenced intent to seek and utilize services in rural communities where pharmacies may be the only healthcare option for miles. Through targeted campaigns, patients with diabetes or CVD may find access to services to better manage their conditions.

Background: Asplenic patients can present unique challenges when updating immunizations. Pharmacists have proven to have a positive impact on immunization rates in asplenic patients. Objectives: To determine the impact of pharmacist intervention on the up-to-date immunization status in asplenic patients in a single rural family medicine clinic and identify quality improvement opportunities for the immunization service. Service Description: The pharmacist obtained an initial list of asplenic patients to create a longitudinal tracking spreadsheet for immunizations that identified missing vaccines for each patient; provider education on vaccine needs in this population and the service was also provided. The ongoing service consists of regular updates to the spreadsheet as patients receive vaccines and a quarterly check of the entire spreadsheet to determine needed vaccines; if needed vaccines are identified, the pharmacist facilitates a patient appointment to obtain the vaccine. Methods: A retrospective chart review was completed in Spring 2022 for all patients included in the baseline report. Patients were categorized based on vaccine status and outstanding vaccines were noted. An evaluation was completed to determine if any identifiable trends across providers were evident based on patient immunization status. Results: A total of 33 asplenic patients were identified at baseline; three (9%) were up-to-date at baseline. Of the 30 patients who were maintained in the clinic, 16 (53.5%) were up-to-date at the point of review. Pharmacist intervention increased the total vaccine completion rate by 44.5% from baseline to follow-up. The biggest improvement for a specific immunization status was made on the meningitis b vaccine; Haemophilus influenzae b showed the highest completion rate at follow-up. No trends were noted across providers that indicated why some providers had patients with higher immunization rates than others. Conclusion: Pharmacist intervention contributed to an increase in immunization rates in a single immunocompromised patient population that requires a specialized immunization schedule.