General Practitioners and Community Pharmacists' Collaboration in Primary Care: Small Steps for a Major Change

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Interprofessional Collaboration
• Pharmacotherapy

Background:

• Global push for integrated care and interprofessional collaboration.
• Introduction of Medical-Pharmaceutical Concertation (MPC) in Belgium.
• MPC aims to foster dialogue between General Practitioners (GPs) and Community Pharmacists (CPs) on pharmacotherapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate the implementation of MPC.
• Assess perspectives of healthcare authorities, GPs, and CPs.

Main Methods:

• Mixed-methods approach utilized.
• Included semi-structured interviews, meeting observations, and surveys.
• Quantitative and qualitative data analyzed inductively and with descriptive statistics.

Main Results:

• Slow initial implementation of MPC.
• Divergent goals: authorities sought measurable results, while GPs/CPs prioritized communication.
• Lack of local structures and need for professional association support identified.

Conclusions:

• Thorough context assessment is vital before implementing complex healthcare projects.
• A phased, step-wise approach is recommended for successful interprofessional relationships.