Pharmacy Daily | Pharmacists key to Indigenous care

BREAKING barriers to integrating non-dispensing pharmacists into primary healthcare services has the potential to improve outcomes for Indigenous patients, research from James Cook University reveals.

The study, published in Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, found that embedding pharmacists into Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHSs), through the Integrating Pharmacists within ACCHSs to Improve Chronic Disease Management (IPAC) project, improved medication-related services.

However, the authors noted that personal health service and community factors could be both enablers and barriers to integrating pharmacists into ACCHSs.

They noted that other staff members initially had difficulty overcoming the stereotype that pharmacists "just supply medications", while some felt that their role was being threatened by the integration of a pharmacist.

However, as staff gained a better understanding of the pharmacist's role those issues faded, and clinical team members, including GPs reported that the non-dispensing pharmacists became "a source of quality recommendations".

The authors noted that pharmacists were able to have a greater impact when they were integrated as part of a well-staffed ACCHS, while those in under-staffed services found it more difficult.

Providing pharmacists with cultural orientation training was identified as another enabler to integrating pharmacists into ACCHSs.

However, a number of non-dispensing pharmacists reported having difficulties performing their role as a result of the significant travel requirements associated with servicing large geographical areas in rural and remote Australia.

"We were only there [at the health service] really one day a week," one pharmacist said.

"The rest of the week we were actually going out working within the communities...you carried all your boxes into Hiluxes [4WD vehicles] and a couple of RNs [registered nurses] and myself... would go out into the community... the time to communicate one on one with people, that was difficult, to have adequate time."

The authors said that adequate resources were required to facilitate the integration of non-dispensing pharmacists into ACCHSs.

"Non-dispensing pharmacists can be more effectively utilised if services and existing staff (especially Aboriginal Health Workers) are supported to integrate the pharmacist within their service, there is role clarity, and the capabilities of pharmacists are understood by healthcare staff and patients," they said.

"Pharmacists can be better prepared if they receive appropriate induction, including cultural training and orientation to the health service and the local community."