Expanding pharmacy roles and the interprofessional experience in primary healthcare: A qualitative study

Abstract

The pharmacist role is undergoing significant changes which are reshaping the way primary health care is delivered throughout England. Due to increased physician workload and focus on primary health care, the pharmacist role has expanded to provide enhanced patient services, integrating into general practice (GP) settings and working more closely as a member of the healthcare team. However, the experiences of pharmacists and team members are yet to be explored. The proposed study aims to explore the experiences, thoughts, and perceptions of a purposive sample of pharmacists, physicians, and nurses working in 10 GP clinics throughout the southeast of England. Interprofessional relationships, power dynamics, changing professional roles, and barriers and facilitators to the integration of the pharmacist role will be explored. An exploratory multiple case study design will be used to investigate interprofessional experiences within and between clinics. In depth interviews will be completed with each participant. A thematic analysis will identify themes and patterns from the interview data. Results are expected to produce recommendations to help facilitate the integration of pharmacists in their new role and will have implications for interprofessional collaboration and interprofessional education which are important for delivering safe and effective care.

Physicians’ and pharmacists’ perception and practice of hospital pharmacist professional role in Egypt

“…The lack of effective collaboration may jeopardize patients’ health and increase costs of treatment. [ 8,9 ]…”

Clinical pharmacists in primary care: Provider satisfaction and perceived impact on quality of care provided

“…Although previously unfavored, pharmacists assuming clinical roles have almost become a necessity in light of the recent growth in the aging population and larger focus on primary health care. 1,2 Almost half a century ago, pharmacists were considered closer to the role of a technician rather than a professional by physicians, patients, and even fellow pharmacists. 3 Pharmacists were thought to not be living up to their fullest potential.…”

Understanding perceptions of involving community pharmacy within an integrated care model: a qualitative study

“…Integration between autonomous organizations allows each organization to continue governing independently while improving the quality and efficiency of health care services [43]. Although participants spoke of the importance of trust, the proposed embedded pharmacist model can be viewed as maintenance of power within the integrated care model [49][50][51][52], allowing others to direct pharmacy services versus having community pharmacy maintain and direct their own services. The proposed embedded pharmacist model may reflect a lack of confidence in community pharmacists' skills and legitimizes oversight of the pharmacist.…”