Expanding pharmacy roles and the interprofessional experience in primary healthcare: A qualitative study

The pharmacist role is undergoing significant changes which are reshaping the way primary healthcare is delivered throughout England. Due to increased physician workload and focus on primary healthcare, the pharmacist role has expanded to provide enhanced patient services, integrating into general practice (GP) settings and working more closely as a member of the healthcare team. However, the experiences of pharmacists and team members are yet to be explored. The proposed study aims to explore the experiences, thoughts, and perceptions of a purposive sample of pharmacists, physicians, and nurses working in 10 GP clinics throughout the southeast of England. Interprofessional relationships, power dynamics, changing professional roles, and barriers and facilitators to the integration of the pharmacist role will be explored. An exploratory multiple case study design will be used to investigate interprofessional experiences within and between clinics. In-depth interviews will be completed with each participant. A thematic analysis will identify themes and patterns from the interview data. Results are expected to produce recommendations to help facilitate the integration of pharmacists in their new role and will have implications for interprofessional collaboration and interprofessional education which are important for delivering safe and effective care.