“Basically you wait for an ‘in’’’: community pharmacist views on their role in weight management in New Zealand

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Obesity is now widely regarded as the main contributor to poor health globally, overtaking tobacco as the leading potentially modifiable risk to health. Community pharmacists are delivering an increasing number of extended services and are potentially well placed to contribute to obesity management strategies. No studies to date have investigated the views of community pharmacists in New Zealand about their role in weight management. AIM To explore the views of community pharmacists in one region of New Zealand about their role in weight management, including the perceived barriers and facilitators to their involvement. METHODS Qualitative, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 11 community pharmacists from the Greater Wellington region. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using an inductive approach. RESULTS Four key themes were identified from data analysis. These were: (i) perceptions of obesity; (ii) perceptions of weight management treatment options; (iii) the unique position of the community pharmacist; and (iv) barriers to involvement. The main barriers described included: (i) a lack of time and remuneration; (ii) the absence of an appropriate space within the pharmacy to discuss weight-related matters; (iii) and a lack of awareness of who to contact for specialist support. DISCUSSION Community pharmacists in Greater Wellington believe that they have a distinct role in their local community and can contribute to a multidisciplinary approach to reduce levels of obesity. Further work is required to determine the most appropriate role for community pharmacy in weight management and the training needs for pharmacy staff to optimally fulfil this role.

Attitudes, Practices, and Barriers of Malaysian Community Pharmacists Toward Provision of Weight Management Services

“…The CPs in this study generally regarded themselves to be well equipped for the delivery of WMS. This was in line with previous international findings where CPs generally expressed positive views on their role in weight management, and that they held a unique position compared to other community-based healthcare providers, by virtue of their ability to have regular contact with patients due to prescription dispensing, and patients are more comfortable talking to CPs than to general practitioners (Um et al, 2014; Fakih et al, 2016; Gray et al, 2016). Majority of CPs in our study also perceived that training programs would help in building confidence toward the provision of WMS.…”

Solidarity or dissonance? A systematic review of pharmacist and GP views on community pharmacy services in the UK

“…Nonetheless, pharmacists’ and GPs’ attitudes towards extended services in this review reflected international findings, where pharmacists in North America, Asia, Australasia, South America and Europe were also enthusiastic towards the concept of providing extended services (Dosea et al., ; Fang, Yang, Feng, Ni, & Zhang, ; Kinsey, Scahill, Bye, & Harrison, ; Kjome, Sandberg, & Granas, ; Schindel et al., ). Moreover, lack of awareness (Bjorkman, Viberg, Rydberg, & Stalsby Lundborg, ; Fakih, Marriott, & Hussainy, ; Freeman, Cottrell, Kyle, Williams, & Nissen, ; Wibowo, Sunderland, & Hughes, ), issues with community pharmacy premises (Babiker, Carson, & Awaisu, ; Bjorkman et al., ; Donald et al., ; Gray, Chamberlain, & Morris, ; Hattingh, Emmerton, Ng Cheong Tin, & Green, ; Murphy et al., ), lack of management support (Casserlie & Mager, ; Donald et al., ; Kinsey et al., ; Tsao et al., ; Watkins, McKee, Hughes, & Pfeiffenberger, ) and remuneration (Donald et al., ; Gray et al., ; Kinsey et al., ; Watkins et al., ) have also been found in other countries. Many pharmacists elsewhere also stressed the need for sufficient pharmacy staff (Casserlie & Mager, ; Gray et al., ; Kinsey et al., ; Murphy et al., ; Tsao et al., ), and pharmacists’(Donald et al., ; Jorgenson, Laubscher, Lyons, & Palmer, ; Watkins et al., ; Wibowo et al., ) and GPs’ (Bryant, Coster, Gamble, & McCormick, ; Dhillon et al., ; Tan, Stewart, Elliott, & George, ) views confirmed poor engagement between pharmacists and GPs.…”

“…Moreover, lack of awareness (Bjorkman, Viberg, Rydberg, & Stalsby Lundborg, 2008;Fakih, Marriott, & Hussainy, 2016;Freeman, Cottrell, Kyle, Williams, & Nissen, 2012;Wibowo, Sunderland, & Hughes, 2016), issues with community pharmacy premises (Babiker, Carson, & Awaisu, 2014;Bjorkman et al, 2008;Donald et al, 2017;Gray, Chamberlain, & Morris, 2016;Hattingh, Emmerton, Ng Cheong Tin, & Green, 2016;Murphy et al, 2016), lack of management support (Casserlie & Mager, 2016;Donald et al, 2017;Kinsey et al, 2016;Tsao et al, 2016;Watkins, McKee, Hughes, & Pfeiffenberger, 2017) and remuneration (Donald et al, 2017;Gray et al, 2016;Kinsey et al, 2016;Watkins et al, 2017) have also been found in other countries. Many pharmacists elsewhere also stressed the need for sufficient pharmacy staff (Casserlie & Mager, 2016;Gray et al, 2016;Kinsey et al, 2016;Murphy et al, 2016;Tsao et al, 2016), and pharmacists' (Donald et al, 2017;Jorgenson, Laubscher, Lyons, & Palmer, 2014;Watkins et al, 2017;Wibowo et al, 2016) and GPs' (Bryant, Coster, Gamble, & McCormick, 2009;Dhillon et al, 2015;Tan, Stewart, Elliott, & George, 2014) views confirmed poor engagement between pharmacists and GPs.…”

Guest Editorial: Rethinking how we see and respond to fatness

“…5 Most fat (and even not so fat) adults and teenagers will be well aware of their weight, and may not welcome uninvited comments on weight by others, for example pharmacy assistants. 2 If 'obesity' is still considered a burgeoning issue, then perhaps it is time we rethink how we see and respond to fatness.…”