Pharmacists' Perspectives on Interprofessional Collaboration with Physicians in Poland: A Quantitative Study.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Interprofessional Healthcare
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Studies highlight the pharmacist's role in patient care.
• However, daily interprofessional collaboration between physicians and pharmacists is infrequent.
• This gap impacts comprehensive patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate physician-pharmacist contact types.
• To explore potential mutual collaboration areas.
• To identify barriers to implementing physician-pharmacist collaboration.

Main Methods:

• A study was conducted from April to August 2020.
• Participants included 207 licensed community pharmacists in Poland.
• Data collected via surveys on interprofessional interactions and perceived barriers.

Main Results:

• Physician-pharmacist contact primarily involves prescription error correction.
• Occasional communication occurs for drug availability and dosage consultations.
• Pharmacists identified key areas for collaboration: adverse drug reaction monitoring, multi-drug therapy analysis, and medication adherence checks.

Conclusions:

• Significant barriers to physician-pharmacist collaboration exist, including lack of clear rules, limited willingness, and low mutual trust.
• Interprofessional education is proposed as a strategy to overcome these barriers.
• Developing communication skills and fostering mutual respect are crucial for enhanced collaboration.