FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  February 27, 2009     

APhA Announces 2009 Immunization Champion Award Winners

WASHINGTON, DC - Recognizing the value and extraordinary contributions pharmacists provide to improving the vaccination rates of their communities, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2009 APhA Immunization Champion Awards. The awards will be presented during APhA’s Annual Meeting April 3-6, 2009, in San Antonio, Texas.

There are five categories of recognition including individual practitioners, corporation/institution, partnerships with other healthcare providers and public health, community outreach and a special friend of pharmacy’s immunization efforts. Nominees were evaluated based on the areas of impact, collaboration, originality, and overcoming challenges and opportunities for pharmacists. The awards program is supported by Novartis Vaccines & Diagnostics.

More than150 nomination packets describing innovative immunizing pharmacists were received for the inaugural year of the recognition. APhA applauds all pharmacists who are working towards improving the health of their communities.

The 2009 APhA Immunization Champion Award winners are as follows:

Individual Practitioner

Vincent A. Hartzell of Catasauqua, Pennsylvania, practices at Hartzell Pharmacy a family owned independent community pharmacy. In the few years he has been practicing, he has made a tremendous impact on local and national immunization efforts. Hartzell’s Pharmacy Vaccine Clinic, established in August 2007 shortly after he began to work at the pharmacy, offers flu immunizations on a walk-in basis and most other vaccines by appointment or walk-in. This clinic has administered more than 1,500 vaccines to date and is already well known for immunization services and travel health services. He is a visible immunization provider within his community and many area physicians refer patients directly to his pharmacy for vaccines and travel medicine consults. In addition, he has been working with the state pharmacist association to help increase patient access to vaccines through advocacy efforts promoting pharmacists’ role. Vince collaborates with local health care professionals through his efforts in serving on the local immunization coalition. He also serves as a national faculty member for the APhA Pharmacy-based Immunization Delivery Certificate Training Program.

About the American Pharmacists Association (APhA)
The American Pharmacists Association, founded in 1852 as the American Pharmaceutical Association, represents more than 62,000 practicing pharmacists, pharmaceutical scientists, student pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and others interested in advancing the profession. APhA, dedicated to helping all pharmacists improve medication use and advance patient care, is the first-established and largest association of pharmacists in the United States. APhA members provide care in all practice settings, including community pharmacies, health systems, long-term care facilities, managed care organizations, hospice settings, and the uniformed services.

Please visit the American Pharmacists Association's website for the full story

Article Written by: Erin Wendel 202.429.7558; ewendel@APhAnet.org
February 27, 2009