’It stayed there, front and centre’: perspectives on community pharmacy’s contribution to front-line healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Ireland

Abstract

ObjectivesTo explore community pharmacists and key stakeholders’ perspectives and reflections on the community pharmacy workforce’s preparedness for, and response to, COVID-19, including lessons for future public health crises.Design, setting and participantsQualitative study using semistructured interviews (via telephone or online videoconferencing platform), with community pharmacists and a range of key stakeholders (representing other health professions, professional/governing organisations concerned with community pharmacy and patient advocacy groups) from across Northern Ireland. Data were analysed using thematic analysis and constant comparison.ResultsThirty interviews were conducted with community pharmacists (n=15) and key stakeholders (n=15). Four themes were identified: (1) adaptation and adjustment (reflecting how community responded quickly to the need to maintain services and adjusted and adapted services accordingly); (2) the primary point of contact (the continuing accessibility of community pharmacy when other services were not available and role as a communication hub, particularly in relation to information for patients and maintaining contact with other healthcare professionals); (3) lessons learnt (the flexibility of community pharmacy, the lack of infrastructure, especially in relation to information technology, and the need to build on the pandemic experience to develop practice); and (4) planning for the future (better infrastructure which reinforced concerns about poor technology, coordination of primary care services and preparing for the next public health crisis). There was a general view that community pharmacy needed to build on what had been learnt to advance the role of the profession.ConclusionsThe strengths of community pharmacy and its contribution to healthcare services in the COVID-19 pandemic were noted by community pharmacists and acknowledged by key stakeholders. The findings from this study should inform the policy debate on community pharmacy and its contribution to the public health agenda.

Cross-sectional questionnaire study of the experiences of community pharmacists in Northern Ireland during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic: preparation, experience and response

“… 4 25 This has been recognised by other key stakeholders (eg, other health professions, professional and governing organisations), and is reported in an accompanying paper. 9 These findings need to inform ongoing and future planning for community pharmacy services, and especially in the context of another pandemic. 26 Public health measures need to be instigated quickly, along with prioritisation of essential services.…”

“…It has been generally recognised that community pharmacy made an immense contribution to healthcare during the pandemic when many other services were not available to patients 4 25. This has been recognised by other key stakeholders (eg, other health professions, professional and governing organisations), and is reported in an accompanying paper 9. These findings need to inform ongoing and future planning for community pharmacy services, and especially in the context of another pandemic 26.…”

“…A three-phase research project was undertaken in Northern Ireland (NI) to assess community pharmacy’s preparedness for and response to the pandemic, using Donabedian’s overarching three-pillar model of quality of care: structure, process and outcome 8. Phase 1 (representing structure) was a documentary analysis of guidance and policy documents released over the initial months of the pandemic,5 this current paper describes the findings of a telephone-administered questionnaire with community pharmacist participants (phase 2, process) while phase 3 was a series of semistructured interviews with community pharmacists and key stakeholders (outcomes) 9. The aim of this study was to examine the immediate views and experiences of the community pharmacy workforce in NI regarding changes in community pharmacy practice/processes in preparation for, and response to the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Evaluating the implementation of a referral system for virtual pharmacy counselling in a province-wide nurse phone line

“…This type of service is aligned with an evolving role of community pharmacists for minor ailment or urgent care consultations in some jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, especially since the pandemic onset. [24][25][26] Our results suggested a limited adoption of the 811-AYP bridge by 811 nurses (call handlers), in relation to a perceived low added value of the technology, both for themselves, but also for patients. While the need for pharmaceutical expertise was expressed by nurses, the AYP bridge was not clearly complementing the existing services with community pharmacies (e.g.…”

“…This type of service is aligned with an evolving role of community pharmacists for minor ailment or urgent care consultations in some jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom and Australia, especially since the pandemic onset. 24 – 26 …”