Addressing Unfunded Vaccines Through a Co-payment Mechanism in Pharmacies
NCT Number: NCT06489964
Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING
Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
Phases: NA
Conditions: Preventable Disease, Vaccine
Interventions: OTHER: Transitional Stepped Co-payment Model - Step 1|OTHER: Transitional Stepped Co-payment Model - Step 2|OTHER: Transitional Stepped Co-payment Model - Step 3|OTHER: Transitional Stepped Co-payment Model - Step 4
Sponsor: Canadian Immunization Research Network
Collaborators: Dalhousie University|Canadian Center for Vaccinology
Sex: ALL
Age: CHILD, ADULT, OLDER_ADULT
Enrollment: 600
Study Design: Allocation: RANDOMIZED|Intervention Model: PARALLEL|Masking: NONE|Primary Purpose: HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Start Date: 2024-09
Completion Date: 2026-03
Locations: Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3H 4R2, Canada

Summary:
The goal of this pilot demonstration and evaluation project is to increase the accessibility and uptake of recommended immunizations in the general public by implementing a transitional stepped co-payment model in community pharmacies in Nova Scotia and Ontario for the delivery of recommended but unfunded vaccines until full public funding is available. The main question it aims to answer is:

* Can a transitional stepped co-payment model through pharmacies for the delivery of recommended but unfunded vaccines (e.g., Shingrix, FluMist) increase the accessibility and uptake of recommended immunizations among various stakeholders until full public funding is available?

Participants will:

* Receive a reduced cost of the vaccine (if eligible) through this transitional stepped co-payment funding model, as part of routine care (following standard pharmacy practice).
* Complete a feedback and satisfaction survey exploring their thoughts on the transitional stepped co-payment model, their satisfaction with the co-payment model, their perception on vaccinations in general and specifically about recommended but unfunded vaccines, and their demographics (such as gender, age, education, race/ethnicity).

Primary Outcome Measures: Evaluating Acceptability of Implementing of a Transitional Stepped Co-Payment Model within Community Pharmacies through Surveys with Members of the Public and Community Pharmacists, After receiving a reduced cost in a vaccine as part of the transitional stepped co-payment model, participants will be asked to complete a survey about their participation in the co-payment model. At the end of the pilot study, pharmacists who take part in the study will be asked to complete a survey about implementing the co-payment model within their pharmacy practice. The surveys will be developed based on the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability and include questions on the acceptability of the co-payment model. To evaluate acceptability of implementing a co-payment model within community pharmacies, data from the public and pharmacist surveys will be analyzed using basic descriptive statistics. Factors that may influence acceptability of the transitional stepped co-payment model (e.g. geography, gender, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and cost) will also be assessed, especially given that the acceptability with the co-payment model may vary by these demographic factors., 6 months|Evaluating Feasibility of Implementing a Transitional Stepped Co-Payment Model within Community Pharmacies through Surveys with Members of the Public and Community Pharmacists, After receiving a reduced cost in a vaccine as part of the transitional stepped co-payment model, participants will be asked to complete a survey about their participation in the co-payment model. At the end of the pilot study, pharmacists who take part in the study will be asked to complete a survey about implementing the co-payment model within their pharmacy practice. The surveys will be developed based on the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA) and include questions regarding the feasibility of the co-payment model. To evaluate the feasibility of implementing a transitional stepped co-payment model within community pharmacies, data from the public and pharmacist surveys will be analyzed using basic descriptive statistics. Factors that may influence feasibility of the transitional stepped co-payment model such as geography (urban vs. rural), gender, age, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and cost to the patient will also be assessed., 6 months
Secondary Outcome Measures: Number of vaccines administered at participating community pharmacy sites, To compare vaccine uptake using pharmacy-generated reports of the number of vaccines administered at participating community pharmacies before (from September 2023 to August 2024), during (from September 2024 to March 2025), and after (from April 2025 to March 2026) implementation of the alternative funding models., 30 months