Patients who received a physician intervention via phone call were more likely to complete the 2-dose shingles vaccine series compared to patients who did not receive a phone call. 

According to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, physician intervention may be more effective in influencing completion rates of the RZV series compared to cost. 

“A higher percentage of patients received their second RZV dose if they spoke with a pharmacist compared with those who did not speak with a pharmacist. The cost analysis demonstrated that the relationship between the costs of the first dose and the second dose return was not statistically significant,” Regan Tyler, PharmD, MBA, and colleagues wrote. “On the basis of these results, pharmacists’ interventions may affect completion rates of the RZV series more than immunization costs.”

Tyler and colleagues conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate whether patients who received a phone call intervention were more likely to return for their second recombinant zoster vaccine (RZV) dose compared to  patients who did not have a pharmacist phone call intervention. 

According to the study, the researchers analyzed the SHINGRIX call lists from 10 randomly selected pharmacies within a large pharmacy chain. They then compared the percentage of patients who received the call intervention and their second RZV dose with the percentage of patients who did not receive the intervention yet returned for their second dose of RZV. 

They analyzed the relationship between the 2 variables using a chi-square test of independence and an odds ratio (OR) was calculated to determine the relationship between payment data and second dose return status.

The results of the study showed that the relationship between phone call intervention and patient return for the second dose vaccination was statistically significant (P < .05). 

According to payment data, the relationship between the cost of the first dose to the patient and the second dose vaccination was not significant (OR 0.6703; 95% CI 0.4153–1.082).

"The study showed that there was a statistically significant relationship between a pharmacist phone call intervention and the RZV second dose return rate," the researchers wrote. "This finding encourages further research into implementing programs that promote counseling by pharmacists when it is time for patients to return for their second RZV dose. By completing the 2-dose series, patients achieve approximately 90% prevention of shingles and its complications."

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.