Expanded practice for rural community pharmacy: what are we waiting for?

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Pharmacy Practice
• Rural Health

Background:

• Rural and remote populations face significant health disparities.
• Community pharmacies are accessible points for healthcare delivery in underserved areas.
• Expanded pharmacy practice models are being explored to address these gaps.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize stakeholder perspectives on expanded pharmacy practice in rural and remote community pharmacies.
• To identify priority health areas for expanded pharmacist service delivery.
• To understand expected outcomes and barriers to implementing these services.

Main Methods:

• A comparative analysis of four studies was conducted.
• Stakeholder perspectives (consumers, pharmacists, health professionals) were synthesized.
• Priority health areas were identified based on aligned study findings.

Main Results:

• Consumers, pharmacists, and health professionals broadly support expanded pharmacy services.
• These expanded services are anticipated to enhance health outcomes for rural and remote populations.
• Key barriers to the sustainability of expanded services were identified and require mitigation.

Conclusions:

• A paradigm shift in pharmacy practice is necessary to reduce health inequality.
• Proactive efforts are needed to implement expanded services and improve rural health outcomes.
• Collaboration among stakeholders is essential for successful integration of expanded pharmacy roles.