Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination uptake is a critical issue in public health, especially for communities, such as Native Hawaiian and Filipino populations, disproportionately affected by HPV-related outcomes. Collaboration between physicians and pharmacists offers a valuable strategy to increase vaccination opportunities and completion rates.
Meliza Roman, an alumna of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa’s Thompson School of Social Work & Public Health, published a paper in the April issue of Hawaiʻi Journal of Health & Social Welfare that explored the awareness and perceptions of Hawaiʻi physicians regarding pharmacists’ roles in administering adolescent vaccines following a 2017 legislative amendment.
Roman’s study involved surveying physicians across Hawaiʻi. Results indicated that while physicians recognized the beneficial role of pharmacists, they also expressed concerns about the accuracy of vaccine administration and dose tracking. These findings underscore the need for enhanced physician-pharmacist collaboration and additional education and training for pharmacists.
“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to collaborate on this study under the mentorship of Dr. May Rose Dela Cruz,” Roman said. “My public health background provided a solid foundation for this study, teaching me valuable writing and presentation skills and highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary teamwork in advancing healthcare outcomes.”
Roman conducted this research as part of her public health undergraduate applied learning experience, which allows students to apply their academic knowledge to real-world projects. The HPV vaccine, proven safe and effective, now protects against nine common virus strains that can cause cervical and other cancers. Roman’s study broadens the understanding of physicians’ pre-pandemic perspectives on referring adolescent patients to pharmacies for HPV vaccines. Implementing these practices can help physicians make more informed decisions, providing patients with additional options to receive and complete the vaccine series.
“This study was fortunate to have a student like Meliza interested in research and seeing it through from the beginning with an IRB (Institutional Review Board) application to data collection and finally to an award-winning publication,” said Dela Cruz, an assistant researcher at the Office of Public Health Studies (OPHS). “I am very proud of her accomplishments and commend her for her continued work in public health research.”
