Rite Aid immunizations garner award

CAMP HILL, Pa. — A retail pharmacy chain's efforts to immunize customers have won recognition from an organization of the country's pharmacists.

Rite Aid won the American Pharmacists Association's Immunization Champion Award in the national corporation and institution category, the chain said Thursday.

Rite Aid said it was recognized for its comprehensive program that included using the APhA Immunization Certificate Training Program to train more than 11,000 of its pharmacists to administer vaccines to patients. The company reported more than 1.4 million flu shots in its December 2011 analyst call, more than double 2010's total.

"Rite Aid made a companywide commitment to boosting public immunization rates for flu and other vaccine-preventable diseases," Rite Aid EVP Robert Thompson said. "It's an honor to be recognized by our peers, [the] American Pharmacists Association, for our efforts."