Pharmacists as advocates?
October 26, 2012
HEALTH consumer advocacy may
be an underappreciated role for
Australian pharmacists, according
to a new study into possible
extensions to the role that
pharmacists play in the healthcare
environment.
The study, published in BMC
Health Services Research, invited a
sample of general practitioners,
health care consumers,
pharmacists and practice managers
in South-East Queensland to
participate in focus groups on the
integration of a pharmacist into the
Australian general practice
environment.
According to the results, there
was a division of opinions regarding
the potential for pharmacists to
prescribe medications, with
consumer groups citing greater
accessibility and a reduction of
costs as benefits to pharmacist
prescribing.
“This may be an extension of the
health care consumer’s perception
on retail pharmacy where they
generally do not pay for
professional services offered by
pharmacists,” the study authors said.
Consumers also identified
attributes such as medication
knowledge as a benefit to
pharmacist prescribing.
Meanwhile, discussing the
expansion of the pharmacists role,
consumers suggested that whilst
health consumer advocacy has long
been described as the realm of
nurses, it may be an area where
pharmacists can look to explore.
Interestingly, the researchers
found that whilst pharmacist
participation within primary care
specialty clinics such as chronic
disease clinics (COPD) or
therapeutic clinics (anticoagulation)
was seen as a positive role by the
pharmacist group, it was not so the
case with other groups of participants.
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