Enhanced pharmacy services have been identified as a mechanism to address medicines and drug-related problems. The aim of the study was to explore the perspectives of practicing pharmacists on the scope of pharmacy service provision in Pakistan. This qualitative study was conducted at the Department of Pharmacy, the Islamia University of Bahawalpur (IUB). Face-to-face, in-depth interviews were conducted with practicing pharmacists at the university who were undertaking postgraduate studies. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic analysis. A total of 13 pharmacists were interviewed. The analysis of data yielded four themes and 12 subthemes. The themes included the current scenario of pharmacy services, the benefits of pharmacy services, barriers to implementation of pharmacy services, and strategies to improve their delivery. Pharmacist participants reported that patient-oriented pharmacy services have not been properly implemented in Pakistan. Pharmacists appear to be undertaking only conventional roles at various levels within the healthcare system. The participants indicated multiple benefits of patient-oriented pharmacy services, including safe and effective use of medicines, minimization of drug-related problems, and financial benefits to the healthcare system. Based on the findings, policy-makers are required to take the necessary steps to overcome pharmacist-related and policy-related barriers associated with the implementation of patient-oriented pharmacy services in Pakistan.
Background: The pharmacy profession is underdeveloped and unrecognised in low and middle-income countries. Recognising this, the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) has published 21 development goals to develop the pharmacy profession. This mixed-method study was conducted to determine a priority-based hierarchy of the FIP development goals and identify the barriers to achieving these goals in Pakistan. Methods: A total of 400 and 15 pharmacists participated in the quantitative and qualitative parts of the study, respectively. Results: Overall, the pharmacy profession in Pakistan was not progressing at the pace required. The participants advocated prioritisation of the ‘Practice’ element to bridge the gap between the current situation and required progress. The main barriers to transformation were a lack of implementation of theoretical knowledge, training and internship programmes, and regulatory deficits in policy development and implementation. Conclusion: Mandatory government leadership and backing will be required to advance practice-related aspects and address intertwined barriers to professional development in the country.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.