TY - JOUR

T1 - General practitioners’ perceptions of the current status and pharmacists’ contribution to primary care in Iceland

AU - Blöndal, Anna Bryndis

AU - Jonsson, Jon Steinar

AU - Kälvemark Sporrong, Sofia

AU - Almarsdóttir, Anna Birna

PY - 2017/6

Y1 - 2017/6

N2 - Background For the past several years pharma-cists’ responsibilities have expanded globally from tradi-tional tasks of dispensing medications to collaborating withother health care professiona ls in patient care. Similardevelopments have not occurred in outpatient settings inIceland. Objective The aim of this study was to exploreIcelandic general practitioners’ views on the current statusof primary care, their percept ions of pharmacists as ahealth care profession, and their attitudes towards futureGP-pharmacist collaboration in primary care in Iceland.Setting Twelve primary care clinics in Iceland. MethodsSemi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted withgeneral practitioners from different primary care clinics inIceland. A purposive and snowbal l sampling technique wasused to select participants. All interviews were recordedand transcrib ed verbatim. The transcripts were categorizedby themes and then analyzed using conventional contentanalysis. Main outcome measure General practitioners’attitudes towards pharmacists. Results Twenty generalpractitioners from twelve different primary care clinics inIceland were interviewed. There are several unmet needsregarding medicines and patient monitoring in the Ice-landic health care system. General practitioners suggestedways in which these gaps may be addressed and pharma-cist-led clinical service was one of the suggestions.Currently, their communication with pharmacists in theprimary sector solely surrounds practical non-clinicalissues. Due to increas ing polypharmacy and multimorbid-ity, they suggested that pharmacists should be moreinvolved in patient care. Conclusions General practiti onersbelieve that pharmac ist-led clinical service can increase thequality of patient therapy. To improve communicationbetween these health care providers, pharmacists must alsore-professionalize (strengthening the profession´s statusthrough new responsibilities and tasks), not having a con-flict of interest and showing that they have expertise inpatient care.

AB - Background For the past several years pharma-cists’ responsibilities have expanded globally from tradi-tional tasks of dispensing medications to collaborating withother health care professiona ls in patient care. Similardevelopments have not occurred in outpatient settings inIceland. Objective The aim of this study was to exploreIcelandic general practitioners’ views on the current statusof primary care, their percept ions of pharmacists as ahealth care profession, and their attitudes towards futureGP-pharmacist collaboration in primary care in Iceland.Setting Twelve primary care clinics in Iceland. MethodsSemi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted withgeneral practitioners from different primary care clinics inIceland. A purposive and snowbal l sampling technique wasused to select participants. All interviews were recordedand transcrib ed verbatim. The transcripts were categorizedby themes and then analyzed using conventional contentanalysis. Main outcome measure General practitioners’attitudes towards pharmacists. Results Twenty generalpractitioners from twelve different primary care clinics inIceland were interviewed. There are several unmet needsregarding medicines and patient monitoring in the Ice-landic health care system. General practitioners suggestedways in which these gaps may be addressed and pharma-cist-led clinical service was one of the suggestions.Currently, their communication with pharmacists in theprimary sector solely surrounds practical non-clinicalissues. Due to increas ing polypharmacy and multimorbid-ity, they suggested that pharmacists should be moreinvolved in patient care. Conclusions General practiti onersbelieve that pharmac ist-led clinical service can increase thequality of patient therapy. To improve communicationbetween these health care providers, pharmacists must alsore-professionalize (strengthening the profession´s statusthrough new responsibilities and tasks), not having a con-flict of interest and showing that they have expertise inpatient care.

U2 - 10.1007/s11096-017-0478-7

DO - 10.1007/s11096-017-0478-7

M3 - Journal article

VL - 39

SP - 945

EP - 952

JO - International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy

JF - International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy

SN - 2210-7703

ER -