Community Pharmacists' Perceptions of Patient Care Services within an Enhanced Service Network.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Pharmacists are positioned as an accessible source of patient care services (PCS). Despite the adversity community pharmacies continue to face, the expanding opportunity of offering PCS continues to be a pathway forward. OBJECTIVE:To identify community pharmacists' perceptions to deliver PCS within an enhanced service network. METHODS:One-on-one semi-structured phone interviews were conducted as part of a mixed-methods approach. Interview transcripts were analyzed using a consensus codebook to draft thematic findings. Participants were recruited from an electronic survey targeting community pharmacists from the New York chapters of the Community Pharmacy Enhanced Services Network (CPESN). RESULTS:Twelve pharmacists were interviewed with four main themes identified. The majority of study participants were pharmacy owners (92%) devoting an average of 15 h/week to PCS and 8 h/week addressing social barriers. The main themes identified include: (1) perceptions of pharmacy profession, (2) reimbursement models and sustainability of PCS, (3) provision of patient care services, and (4) how PCS address social determinants of health. CONCLUSIONS:Offering PCS opportunities for patients is a direction many community pharmacists have embraced and are working to succeed. Ongoing research is needed focusing on community pharmacists' self-perceptions of the clinical impact and role they hold in an evolving healthcare system.

SUBMITTER: Daly CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7559089 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature