A qualitative glimpse at pharmaceutical care practice

This manuscript presents an argument for a broader use of qualitative methodologies to investigate the practice and the surroundings of pharmaceutical care. Albeit the use of qualitative research methods is growing in the health care field, it is still insufficient in the area of pharmaceutical care. Pharmaceutical care, as a patient-centered practice, calls for a more comprehensive and humanistic approach to research. It is our contention that the attempt to understand pharmaceutical care practice from the perspective of patients, pharmacists and other health care professionals, by means of using qualitative methods, would notably contribute to a better assessment of the value of pharmaceutical care programs in the health care system. Moreover, because a deeper understanding of the nuances of this practice can be achieved with the use of qualitative methods, this approach might also assist us in making the necessary changes to create more effective pharmaceutical care practices.