How pharmacists perceive their professional identity: a scoping review and discursive analysis

Abstract

Objectives The objectives of this scoping review were to (a) explore how pharmacists perceive their professional roles and identities and (b) describe factors impacting which professional roles or identities pharmacists embody in different pharmacy practice settings. Methods A scoping review using a deductive approach was undertaken for this study. Systematic searches were conducted in five databases: Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Ovid PsycINFO, EBSCO Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health and Scopus (Elsevier). Key words searched included pharmacist, identity, professional role and one variations of these. Results were double-blind screened for relevance by two authors. Data extraction was facilitated by the web-based software platform COVIDENCE. Foucauldian critical discourse analysis was used to deconstruct how pharmacists perceive their professional roles and identities. Key findings In total, 21 701 articles were retrieved in the search. Following de-duplication and screening, 23 studies from 11 different countries were included. Five major identity themes were identified: Clinician, Dispenser, Business Person, Patient Counsellor and Physician Supporter. The dispenser identity was the most widespread, but it was viewed by many pharmacists as undesirable. The clinician identity also had a strong presence but was viewed as an identity that pharmacists aspire to embody. Conclusions This scoping review illustrates that pharmacists do not uniformly perceive themselves to be clinicians. A significant gap exists between the profession’s desired identity and that embodied by practicing pharmacists. The resulting dissonance may be a contributing factor to the lack of wide-scale practice change that the profession has been seeking for decades.

Increased self-reported pharmacist prescribing during the COVID-19 pandemic: Using the Theoretical Domains Framework to identify barriers and facilitators to prescribing

“…However, the literature suggests there is still significant work to be done to fully engrain the professional identity of a ‘clinician’ within the pharmacy profession. 67 , 68 , 69 This was found to be the case in a recent study also utilizing the TDFv2 that explored adoption of full scope of pharmacy practice, indicating that not all pharmacists see prescribing as part of their core professional role. 40 , 68 …”

“… 67 , 68 , 69 This was found to be the case in a recent study also utilizing the TDFv2 that explored adoption of full scope of pharmacy practice, indicating that not all pharmacists see prescribing as part of their core professional role. 40 , 68 …”

Gydytojo Profesinės Tapatybės Vaidmuo, Optimizuojant Terapinę Veiklą

“…Kartais gretinamos skirtingų medicinos specialybių profesinės tapatybės. Antai (turbūt neatsitiktinai), imta tyrinėti farmacijos studentų savivertė, ją lyginant su kitų medicinos specialybių studentais [15,16]. Tyrėjų dėmesį patraukė ir geriatrinės medicinos darbuotojų profesinės tapatybės ypatumai [17], JAV mokslininkai pabrėžia, kad pavojinga profesinę tapatybę išskaidyti, nukrypti nuo esmės ar per daug ją stereotipizuoti [18].…”

The only way round is through: Professional identity in pharmacy education and practice

“…Although it is important for educators to understand the process of professional identity formation from various perspectives, this understanding also requires insight into the sociohistorical and cultural contexts at play in education and practice and how these affect the construction and performance of professional identities. 12,13 These elements can create…”

“…Although it is important for educators to understand the process of professional identity formation from various perspectives, this understanding also requires insight into the sociohistorical and cultural contexts at play in education and practice and how these affect the construction and performance of professional identities. 12,13 These elements can create tensions for students, and our role as educators is to support students through their professional development journey and help them negotiate the tensions and conflicts they experience, not to prescribe how they should think, act and feel.…”