Pharmacy Daily | Clarity needed on ‘expanded practice’

UNCERTAINTY about what constitutes an expanded pharmacy service, amongst pharmacists in rural and remote parts of Australia highlights "an urgent need for the pharmacy profession to develop clarity...about what is defined as an expanded service", researchers from James Cook University believe.

Results from a pilot study of assessing rural and remote Australian pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes and practices relating to the profession's "full scope of practice", published in the Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, found there was confusion about want constitutes an expanded service.

The research found that 89% of respondents believed expanded services would be beneficial for people in rural areas, however 68% said that such services were being offered through rural pharmacies.

"While over two-thirds of pharmacists claimed knowledge that EPS were being delivered in community pharmacy, there appears to be some confusion as to which services constitute expanded practice, with blood pressure monitoring, provision of dose administration aids, blood sugar screening, weight management, and smoking cessation being listed as expanded services," the authors said.

"Although expanded practice has been described as a distinct knowledge and skill base that is in addition to the recognised scope of the pharmacy profession, pharmacists might see any service other than the traditional supply of medicines as expanded practice.

"This demonstrates an urgent need for the pharmacy profession to develop clarity for pharmacists about what is defined as an expanded service."

The researchers also found that rural pharmacists were particularly interested in mental health services they could provide.

"Respondents' consistent high ranking of expanded pharmacy services related to mental health including referral to mental health services, conducting suicide risk assessments, and the use of basic mental health screening tools are expected considering the frequency and impact of poor mental health in rural and remote regions of Australia," the authors said.

The study also note that pharmacists perceived "many more barriers than enablers to the provision of expanded pharmacy services".

"The most often stated barriers were regarding staff shortages, remuneration, training, and time," the authors said.

"Enabling factors included a need for services, due to a lack of health providers in their area, and that rural pharmacies are well placed to provide EPS".