BC Medication Management Project: Perspectives of pharmacists, patients and physicians

The BC Medication Management Project (BCMMP) was developed by the BC Ministry of Health and the BC Pharmacy Association. This pilot project ran from September 2010 to January 2012. Pharmacists reviewed patients' medication histories, discussed best use of medications, provided education and monitored for adverse effects, developed a plan to deal with medication issues and created a best possible medication history.

To evaluate the experience of participating in the BCMMP, challenges and strengths of the project and the alignment of these experiences with the overarching goals, focus groups and interviews were conducted with 6 stakeholder groups. Themes were compared within and across stakeholder type and descriptively analyzed.

A total of 88 people participated in the focus groups/interviews. Pharmacists stated that providing BCMMP services was professionally satisfying and concurred with patients that the service did benefit them. However, participating in the BCMMP was not seen as financially sustainable by pharmacy owners, and there were concerns about patient selection. Physicians expressed concerns about increased workload associated with the BCMMP, for which they were not compensated. The computer system and burden of documentation were identified as the greatest problems.

The BCMMP pilot project was enthusiastically received by pharmacists and patients who felt that it benefited patients and moved the pharmacy profession in a positive direction. It was widely felt that the BCMMP could be successful and sustainable if the identified challenges are addressed.