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    Coordination between public health and private sector pharmacies is critical to expanding access to immunizations during a public health emergency. Effective collaboration can save lives by leveraging the strengths of all partners, ensuring that immunizations are available more broadly and earlier in the emergency.

    Increasing the number of qualified health professionals who can administer immunizations is a vital step in achieving a coordinated response. Pharmacies, which already play a major role in providing of routine vaccinations, can further their impact by offering immunizations to the public during a public health emergency. 

    What is an LOU?

    A Letter of Understanding (LOU) is a formal agreement that outlines the terms and expectations between two or more parties.  While not legally binding like a contact, an LOU allows for proactive planning, helping stakeholders prepare in advance for emergency situations.

    Why Should Public Health Agencies and Pharmacies have LOUs?

    LOUs offer benefits to both public health agencies and pharmacies. Pharmacies serve people of all ages and are trusted community resources. As pharmacies play a larger role in administering vaccines, an LOU ensures that they have the necessary access to vaccines, information, and supplies.

    An LOU's benefits to community pharmacies include:

    • Early access to federal public health emergency immunizations.
    • Ability to plan a distribution approach in advance.
    • Opportunities to educate public health about pharmacies response strategies during emergencies.
    • Potential to reduce waste, improve efficiency, clarify expectations, and strengthen partnerships between pharmacies and public health, both during a public health emergency and in routine services.

    An LOU between public health agencies and pharmacies allows pharmacies to better serve their patients and customers, while helping public health agencies reach the public more efficiently.

    Next Steps

    Using the Pharmacy MOA Submission Instructions, please review and sign the LOU. The Pharmacy HL7 Interface Form is only intended to obtain minimal information to initiate technical conversation towards developing interoperability between the pharmacy systems and the immunization registry. Any additional questions will be addressed during the technical discussions.

    For further questions or concerns, please contact RA-DHPHARMACYPARTNER@pa.gov.​