This guide has been developed to assist pharmacists in initiating discussions with patients about HPV prevention, specifically related to head and neck cancers. While HPV infections are commonly associated with cancers of the genital areas, including cervical, vulvar, vaginal, and anal cancers, they can also lead to head and neck cancers. The focus of this tool is on Gardasil 9, currently the only HPV vaccine in Canada approved (with conditions) for the prevention of some head and neck cancers.
This document offers pharmacists practical strategies for identifying appropriate patients, guides discussions about HPV vaccination, explains the vaccine schedule and costs, provides a sample counseling script, and more.
While this resource provides valuable guidance, it is not intended to be comprehensive and does not replace the professional judgment and responsibilities of pharmacists during patient consultations.
Disclaimer
This tool was developed by the Ontario Pharmacists Association (OPA) with a grant provided by Merck Canada. The information provided in this document is intended to assist pharmacists with initiating discussions with patients about Gardasil 9 for the prevention of head and neck cancers but is not meant to be comprehensive and does not replace professional judgement and responsibilities. It is provided without warranty of any kind by OPA and OPA assumes no responsibility for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies therein. The decision for use and application of this document is the responsibility of the user. OPA assumes no liability for such use and application or any resulting outcomes. It is the responsibility of the pharmacy professional to use professional judgment in evaluating this material in light of any relevant clinical or situational data. It is intended to supplement materials provided by regulatory authorities, and should there be any discrepancies, municipal, provincial, and federal laws, policies and guidelines shall prevail. The information provided in this document are current at the time of publication. Pharmacy professionals are encouraged to confirm information with additional resources.
