Assessment of Pharmacists’ Willingness to Conduct Medication Use Reviews in Poland

Abstract

Introduction. Pharmacists play an important role in healthcare. Their functions are evolving and, in many countries, they actively participate in interdisciplinary patient treatment. One of the most common services provided by pharmacists as part of pharmaceutical care in community pharmacies involves medication reviews. Objective. The objective of this study was to evaluate the readiness of pharmacists to conduct medication reviews in community pharmacies. Materials and methods. This study comprises 493 pharmacists from community pharmacies in Poland. A questionnaire (developed for the purposes of this study) was used. It consisted of eight questions regarding readiness to conduct medication reviews, along with personal data. Results. A total of 63.9% of the pharmacists were ready to conduct medication reviews, and 23.1% already had experience in this area. Participants were of the opinion that this service should be funded by the Ministry of Health or a third-party public payer, and overall was valued by the participants at PLN 169.04 (SD = 280.77) net per patient. Conclusions. Pharmacists in Poland have expressed their readiness to conduct medical reviews. Implementation of this service in community pharmacies in Poland can have a significant impact on optimising patient health outcomes.

The Potential of Incorporating a Pharmacist-Only Medicine Category in Poland

“…This is in line with Kirklade et al's study [35], where the flu vaccination service in community pharmacies was beneficial and is seen as an integral part of the healthcare system in countries like the United States, Canada, England, or Portugal [35]. Moreover, the participation of pharmacists in patient treatment with simultaneous pharmaceutical care improves patient health outcomes [33]. It may contribute to both health and economic benefits in healthcare.…”

“…As in our study, Merks et al [33] revealed that pharmacists in Poland are willing to broaden the scope of services offered in community pharmacies [32,36]. However, most pharmacists in the study agreed that the public healthcare payer or private insurer and the patient should partially fund such services.…”

“…The expectation and willingness of pharmacists to expand their professional qualifications and provide pharmaceutical services align with the global trend of the evolution of the pharmacist's role in the healthcare system [32,33]. In addition, services offered in community pharmacies have rapidly evolved and have undergone an undisputable expansion in recent years [34].…”

Over the Counter Pain Medications Used by Adults: A Need for Pharmacist Intervention

“…Despite the development of pharmaceutical care worldwide, the level of care in Poland in this regard is much lower. However, a study by Merks et al found that pharmacists in Poland expressed a willingness to conduct medical reviews, which could have a significant impact on optimizing patient health outcomes [35]. Many studies confirm the influence of pharmacists on the safety of patients' therapies by providing information on medication use.…”

Evaluation of medication safety assessment tools for pharmacist-led medication reviews: the Eastern European pilot project

“…Due to an aging population, polypharmacy and inappropriate prescribing are expected to rise in the Eastern European region. While there are barriers at the healthcare policy and organizational levels, community pharmacists are well placed and willing to offer MRs to promote the rational use of medicines and benefit patients (Tuula et al, 2021;Merks et al, 2022;Paidere et al, 2023).…”