Attitude and Willingness to Get COVID-19 Vaccines by a Community Pharmacist in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Sultan M Alshahrani,1 Khalid Orayj,1 Ali M Alqahtani,2 Adel Alfatease,3 Atheer Alshahrani,4 Ahmed RN Ibrahim1,5 1Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 2Pharmacology Department, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 3Pharmaceutics Department, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia; 4Alnahdi Pharmacies, Khamis Mushait, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Minia University, Minia, EgyptCorrespondence: Ahmed RN Ibrahim, Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia, Tel +966 554088979, Email aribrahim@kku.edu.saIntroduction: Community pharmacists play a key role as vaccinators for COVID-19. They can reduce the burden of the disease worldwide.Objective: This study used a cross-sectional questionnaire to determine whether the Saudi Arabian public was willing to obtain the COVID-19 vaccine via community pharmacists.Results: The questionnaire focused on the satisfaction, concerns, and opinions towards providing vaccination by community pharmacists. The study featured 415 individuals aged 18 and older (eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine). Of the participants in this study, 58.1% were aged 18– 25, with 55.4% female. Most participants (72.8%) have not been exposed to COVID-19 and are not aware of the approval of COVID-19 vaccination by community pharmacists. Of the 415 complete questionnaires, 45% believed that community pharmacists are not experienced in administering vaccines. However, 63% of participants are satisfied with getting the COVID-19 vaccination by a community pharmacist if no other option is available. More than 68% of the respondents agree that community pharmacies should expand their health care services to include vaccinations, prescriptions, checkups, and other forms of preventative medicine.Discussion: The availability of community pharmacist-administered vaccination in Saudi Arabia could be a significant factor in the success of the country’s vaccination program. This study may serve as a model to expand the role of pharmacists in other countries’ vaccination programs.Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, community pharmacy, immunization, perspective, adherence, patient satisfaction