Dataset Information

Contributions and challenges of community pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Healthcare services across the world have been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In primary care, community pharmacists have had an important role in the frontline healthcare response to the pandemic.

Objectives

This study aimed to explore the experiences, contributions and perceived challenges of community pharmacists regarding the provision of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with community pharmacists in France. Participants were recruited through a professional organization of pharmacists combined with a snowballing technique. Interviews were transcribed and then analyzed using thematic analysis.

Results

A total of 16 community pharmacists participated in the interviews. Study participants described providing a range of novel services in response to the pandemic on top of continuing their usual services. All participants described providing preventative services to reduce and mitigate the spread of SARS-CoV-2, such as education on hygiene and social distancing, delivery of face masks and hand sanitizer and adjusting pharmacy premises. Most respondents also described being involved in SARS-CoV-2 detection through screening and performing antigen testing in pharmacies. Participants reported being actively involved in COVID-19 vaccination by educating the general public about vaccines, facilitating their distribution to general practitioners as well as administering vaccines. Over half the respondents described rapidly changing guidelines and service users' anxiety as challenges to the provision of healthcare services during the pandemic.

Conclusions

This study suggests that community pharmacists have significantly contributed to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic by ensuring continuity of pharmaceutical services and providing novel screening, testing and vaccination services. Their roles and responsibilities during the COVID-19 health crisis indicate that they can play an important role in the management of emerging infectious diseases.

SUBMITTER: Durand C

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9202330 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Contributions and challenges of community pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.

Durand Claire C Douriez Eric E Chappuis Aude A Poulain Frédérique F Yazdanpanah Yazdan Y Lariven Sylvie S Lescure François-Xavier FX Peiffer-Smadja Nathan N

Journal of pharmaceutical policy and practice 20220616 1

<h4>Background</h4>Healthcare services across the world have been deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In primary care, community pharmacists have had an important role in the frontline healthcare response to the pandemic.<h4>Objectives</h4>This study aimed to explore the experiences, contributions and perceived challenges of community pharmacists regarding the provision of healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic.<h4>Methods</h4>Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted ...[more]

PMID: 35710392

Similar Datasets

Project description:ObjectivesTo explore the experiences and perspectives of community pharmacists regarding their roles during the closure stage (ie, March to May 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL), Canada.DesignThis qualitative case study included a document analysis and semistructured interviews with community pharmacists who provided direct patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic. The document analysis was used to develop a chronology that informed the interviews. Themes from qualitative interviews were developed through iterative cycles of data review and analysis using applied thematic analysis. Findings are presented specifically for the time period between March and May 2020, defined as the 'Closure Stage'.SettingCommunity pharmacies in NL, Canada.Results12 community pharmacists participated in the interviews. Four themes were developed including (1) pharmacists' leadership in continuity of care, (2) pharmacists as medication stewards, (3) pharmacists as a source of COVID-19 health information and (4) the impact of COVID-19 on pharmacists' mental health and well-being. The first three themes described the key roles played by community pharmacists during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, including coordinating care, prescribing for common ailments, delivering medications and supplies, providing information on COVID-19 symptoms and their management, renewing chronic medications and protecting the medication supply. Unclear guidance on scope of practice, limited scope of practice, inadequate staffing and limited support from government bodies were identified as barriers to these roles. Facilitators included access to a delivery service, swift regulatory changes, reimbursement and support from colleagues and other healthcare professionals. The fourth theme is presented independently, emphasising the impact of working within the primary healthcare (PHC) system during the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmacists' mental health and well-being.ConclusionPharmacists played a critical role in the delivery of PHC services during the closure stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings of this research highlight the essential elements of a strong PHC pandemic preparedness plan that is inclusive of community pharmacists, including improved communication strategies, mental health support and access to resources.

Project description:BackgroundCommunity pharmacists were the face of the health response to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. Their pivotal role during the pandemic has been widely recognized, as they adapted to continue to provide a higher level of care to their patients.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of frontline pharmacists' lived experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on their roles.MethodsPhotovoice, a visual research method that uses participant-generated photographs to articulate their experiences, was used with semi-structured interviews to explore pharmacists' lived experiences. Frontline community pharmacists who provided direct patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Alberta, Canada were recruited. Participants were asked to provide 3-5 photos that reflected on how they see themselves as a pharmacist and/or represents what they do as a pharmacist. Data analysis incorporated content, thematic and visual analysis and was facilitated using NVivo software. A published conceptual framework model was used as the foundation of the analysis with care taken to include new concepts. Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Alberta health research ethics board.ResultsInterviews were conducted with 21 participants and they 71 photos. This study advanced the conceptual framework model presented in a scoping review, of what was made visible (pharmacists' information, public health, and medication management roles) and what was invisible but made visible by the pandemic (pharmacists' leadership roles). It was revealed through the reflective nature of this study the important leadership role pharmacists have in their communities.ConclusionsThis study highlighted the work of community pharmacists responding to the COVID-19 pandemic through their information, public health, medication management, and leadership roles. Their experiences also made visible the cost their work had on them as they did more to adapt and continually respond as the pandemic evolved. Pharmacists recognized their role as leaders in their practice and communities.

Project description:ObjectivesThis paper reports findings exploring junior doctors' experiences of working during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.DesignQualitative study using in-depth interviews with 15 junior doctors. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, anonymised and imported into NVivo V.12 to facilitate data management. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.SettingNational Health Service (NHS) England.ParticipantsA purposive sample of 12 female and 3 male junior doctors who indicated severe depression and/or anxiety on the DASS-21 questionnaire or high suicidality on Paykel's measure were recruited. These doctors self-identified as having lived experience of distress due to their working conditions.ResultsWe report three major themes. First, the challenges of working during the COVID-19 pandemic, which were both personal and organisational. Personal challenges were characterised by helplessness and included the trauma of seeing many patients dying, fears about safety and being powerless to switch off. Work-related challenges revolved around change and uncertainty and included increasing workloads, decreasing staff numbers and negative impacts on relationships with colleagues and patients. The second theme was strategies for coping with the impact of COVID-19 on work, which were also both personal and organisational. Personal coping strategies, which appeared limited in their usefulness, were problem and emotion focused. Several participants appeared to have moved from coping towards learnt helplessness. Some organisations reacted to COVID-19 collaboratively and flexibly. Third, participants reported a positive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on working practices, which included simplified new ways of working-such as consistent teams and longer rotations-as well as increased camaraderie and support.ConclusionsThe trauma that junior doctors experienced while working during COVID-19 led to powerlessness and a reduction in the benefit of individual coping strategies. This may have resulted in feelings of resignation. We recommend that, postpandemic, junior doctors are assigned to consistent teams and offered ongoing support.

Dataset Information

Contributions and challenges of community pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.

Background

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Contributions and challenges of community pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study.

Similar Datasets

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