Distributor Revamps Influenza Vaccine Ordering

"You pick the date. You pick the quantity. FFF delivers." That's the motto of a new Web site created by FFF Enterprises, the largest distributor of annual influenza vaccine in the United States. The site -- MyFluVaccine.com -- and the service it represents reflect "a significant advancement in vaccine distribution efficiency," according to FFF Enterprises president and CEO Patrick Schmidt.

The site proposes to address the primary concern AAFP members expressed in a survey on annual influenza vaccine the Academy conducted last fall -- namely, that they were not able to obtain sufficient vaccine to begin immunizing their patients at high risk for flu complications early in the 2005-06 influenza season. Many either had to postpone immunizing these individuals until vaccine was available or refer them elsewhere, often to retail outlets that managed to obtain vaccine at the beginning of the season.

That latter scenario, in particular, flies in the face of research conducted by the Academy and other groups that has shown the majority of patients prefer to receive their annual influenza immunizations in their personal medical home -- most often, their physician's office.

"We applaud FFF's innovative online ordering system," said AAFP President-Elect Rick Kellerman, M.D., of Wichita, Kan. Kellerman chaired the AAFP's Influenza Vaccine Task Force, which began investigating problems with vaccine distribution and related issues last fall. In March, the Academy's Board of Directors approved several recommendations submitted by the task force. Chief among those recommendations: Work with vaccine manufacturers and distributors "to ensure family physicians receive the influenza vaccine necessary to meet their patients' needs in a timely manner."

"FFF recognizes that patients want to get their influenza vaccination in their physician's office and that family physicians want to give their patients the vaccine," Kellerman said. "This is part and parcel to having a personal medical home."

The Temecula, Calif.-based distributor's new ordering system offers health professionals and facilities a chance to specify a delivery date when they prebook their annual flu vaccine orders through the company. By drawing on data from previous years' receipts to set a defined delivery season for each influenza vaccine product, FFF says it can forecast how much of each product the company expects to receive from the vaccine manufacturers it works with throughout the immunization season, enabling it to confirm customers' orders and delivery dates.

Physicians who wish to use the new program place their orders via MyFluVaccine's online system, paying 25 percent of the total cost of the order upfront to "lock in" their chosen delivery dates; the balance is due within 30 days after shipment. The system may be accessed around the clock and uses a color-coded calendar to show when and how much of each product is available for shipping. For the 2006-07 season, FFF has scheduled delivery dates ranging from Sept. 23 through November.

If FFF misses a delivery date, the customer gets a 5 percent discount on the balance due. If an order cannot be shipped at all, FFF issues a full refund. Regular e-mailed updates allow vaccine providers to track the progress of their orders.

FFF says the system guarantees "a dedicated supply of flu vaccine -- for all facility types and order sizes, large and small." And to ensure patients will be able to connect with physicians offering flu immunizations, on July 1, FFF will launch a "vaccine provider finder" program to help patients identify physicians in their areas who have vaccine on order. The distributor also plans to conduct a nationwide campaign touting the merits of annual influenza immunization.

Ultimately, this sort of creative thinking stands to benefit patients, Kellerman noted. "If vaccine manufacturers, distributors and family physicians work together to get patients vaccinated, it's a win-win-win-win situation!" he said.