Participants identified a wide range of issues within community pharmacy practice. Academics largely focused on how research can be utilised in the community and how to implement findings to ensure sustainability of pharmacy practice research. Issues that community pharmacists would like to research are related to the current practice model, such as allocating time to provide patient-focused services in addition to managing a business.
Increasing pressure on healthcare demand and delivery has resulted in the development of new roles and services for pharmacists. As current models of pharmacy practice continue to be evaluated, pharmacists must be involved in identifying new areas that may require research. In order to do so, the current vision of the future of pharmacy practice is discussed in this commentary. Issues such as adequate funding, professional competency and building strong interprofessional relationships are still identified as major barriers to change. These barriers have been grouped into the themes that form a conceptual model of the factors affecting the future of pharmacy practice, which have led to the development of key questions for the future. Keywords Future; pharmacy practice; pharmacy practice research; health policy; public policy; pharmaceutical policy Introduction Changing population demographics have resulted in an increasing pressure on healthcare demand and delivery worldwide. These changes have led to challenges in the management of people, especially those living with long term conditions. In order to adapt to these challenges, there have been changes in the healthcare workforce, resulting in the development of new roles and services for pharmacists. 1 It is said that effective medicines management and the expanding roles of pharmacists need to be coupled with organized technology infrastructure, along with support from professional training and ethical, legal and regulatory frameworks. 2,3 Evidence-based policymaking determines the funding priorities within the healthcare system. In order to firmly establish the necessity of the pharmacy profession, it is vital to show evidence through research that the adapting roles of pharmacists add value to the healthcare system. 2 At present, pharmacy practice models are and will be continuously evaluated. For these evaluations to influence changes in policy, it is pertinent that practicing pharmacists actively participate in research to evaluate the relevancy of the services they deliver and to help identify new areas that may require research. 2 These new areas for example, could be novel mechanisms by which pharmacists could deliver patient care. However, in order to make these projections, the current vision for the future of pharmacy must first be discussed. Therefore, the aim of this commentary is to discuss the future of pharmacy and present a conceptual model leading to questions. Answering these questions could help in solving the puzzle of how the pharmacy profession operates in a broader public policy context and its future role in improving healthcare efficiency.
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