Development and evaluation of a simulation-based vaccination training course for pharmacy students

Background: Community pharmacists are frontline healthcare professionals who became authorised to administer COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations in Belgium post-pandemic. To prepare students for this role, a vaccination simulation training program was developed at the University of Liege. This article outlines the training process for final year pharmacy students and evaluates the simulation-based course. Methods: Master’s pharmacy students used online training, procedural simulations, and relational simulations with simulated patients. Students' satisfaction, interest and self-confidence in vaccination-related skills were measured by pre-/post-questionnaires. Vaccination skills were evaluated through an Objective Structured Clinical Examination assessment. Results: Statistically significant improvements were observed in all interest and confidence scores. The most notable increase was in the perception of vaccination as a healthcare professional role, with a median gain of 8.3 (0.0–10.7) points out of 100. Confidence in addressing misinformation, managing concerns, and performing vaccine preparation and administration increased by 25 points each. Finally, 80 out of 86 students (93.02%) achieved the required skills to pass the OSCE station, with a success threshold set at 80/100. Conclusion: This simulation-based vaccination training course helps students develop essential skills and confidence in administering vaccinations. It adds to pharmacy education literature and offers ideas for creating engaging teaching activities for future public health interventions, particularly in vaccination.