The next phase in professional services research: From implementation to sustainability

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice and Implementation Science

Background:

• Professional pharmacy services are key to the future of the profession.
• While implementation science has advanced understanding of service uptake, service sustainability remains under-researched.
• Sustainability ensures continued use of implemented services for long-term benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

• To differentiate and compare the implementation and sustainability phases of pharmacy services.
• To propose a clear definition for the sustainability of professional pharmacy services.

Main Methods:

• A literature search was conducted to identify key elements of implementation and sustainability.
• Analysis focused on the aims, activities, timing, and duration of each phase.

Main Results:

• Implementation aims to incorporate services; sustainability aims to make them routine for long-term benefits.
• Implementation involves planned integration; sustainability focuses on continuous improvement.
• The relationship between implementation and sustainability phases (concomitant vs. independent) is debated, with no consensus on duration.

Conclusions:

• A proposed definition for sustainability in pharmacy services is: 'Sustainability is a phase in the process of a professional pharmacy service, in which the service previously integrated into practice during the implementation phase is routinized and institutionalized over time to achieve and sustain the expected service outcomes'.
• A standardized definition will improve understanding and measurement of long-term service success in pharmacy.