Pharmacists' barriers and facilitators on implementing a post-discharge home visit

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Health Services Research
• Implementation Science

Background:

• Post-discharge pharmacist home visits can enhance care continuity and prevent medication-related issues.
• Implementing these visits faces challenges, necessitating an understanding of influencing factors for successful integration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify barriers and facilitators affecting community pharmacists' adoption of post-discharge home visits.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods study involving community pharmacists who participated in a prior effectiveness study.
• Focus groups explored barriers and facilitators, followed by a survey to rank their relevance and feasibility.

Main Results:

• Most pharmacists found proposed barriers and facilitators relevant and feasible.
• Key implementation barriers included the need for dedicated time, integrating visits into routines, and adequate reimbursement.

Conclusions:

• Successful implementation hinges on facilitating changes in daily routines and providing adequate reimbursement.
• Reimbursement is a significant incentive, but reprioritizing daily tasks is also crucial for adoption.