Strategy
The Indiana Department of Health worked with pharmacies to enroll in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program to increase access of COVID-19 vaccines for children in the state.
Challenge
COVID-19 vaccine access in Indiana was limited by pharmacies not being enrolled in the VFC program. VFC-eligible populations, such as Medicaid recipients and the uninsured, could not utilize VFC services at retail pharmacies, which are often more accessible than vaccine locations such as physician offices.
Solution
The Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) coordinated with Medicaid and retail pharmacies to enroll pharmacies in VFC and assist them with any potential enrollment barriers. There were not any pharmacists enrolled in VFC prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. IDOH forged this collaborative effort by providing infrastructure for pharmacies enrolling in VFC via a single point of contact with VFC and weekly meetings to ensure message consistency. These activities were intended to build trust between VFC and pharmacies. Additionally, Indiana pharmacies enrolled in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 vaccination. This program further expanded pharmacies’ COVID-19 vaccine provision beyond VFC beneficiaries.
Outcome
IDOH efforts to expand vaccine access for VFC beneficiaries culminated in Indiana pharmacies enrolling in the VFC program. This provided VFC beneficiaries with expanded access to COVID-19 vaccination opportunities, and helped establish relationships between pharmacies, VFC, and health departments.
Supplemental Resources