Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 5, 2025

A Machine Learning Approach to Design an Efficient Selective Screening of Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: January 11, 2020
Which factors may influence the implementation of drug dispensing in community pharmacies? A qualitative study
Sabrina Cerqueira-Santos1, Kérilin S S Rocha2, Dyego C S A Araújo2
1Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Pharmacy, Laboratory of Teaching and Research in Social Pharmacy (LEPFS), Federal University of Sergipe, São Cristóvão, Sergipe, Brazil.
Rationale, Aims And Objectives:
Implementation of clinical pharmacy services, such as drug dispensing, is a complex process. It is necessary to understand the challenges associated with this practice from the perspective of the actors involved to help ensure optimal service provision. Thus, this study aimed to understand the factors that may influence the implementation of drug dispensing in community pharmacies, according to the perceptions of pharmacists.
Method:
This qualitative study was based on semistructured, face-to-face interviews. The participants were pharmacists who worked in a chain of community pharmacies in Brazil, selected based on their direct participation in the implementation process. The interview recordings were transcribed full verbatim and were independently analyzed using thematic analysis, followed by consensus meetings between researchers. The factors identified by the participants were classified according to the Apoteca framework. This study was approved by the Committee of Ethics in Research and all participants signed an informed consent form.
Results:
We conducted 18 interviews, with 47 factors that may influence the implementation of drug dispensing in community pharmacies being identified. These factors were allocated to seven categories: support from community pharmacy chain (4), pharmacy infrastructure (11), characteristics of the pharmacy, medicines and other health products (4), pharmacist (16), dispensing work process (2), pharmacy team (2) and patient (8). The classification of factors according to the Apoteca framework allocated most of them to administrative (14) and technical (15) domains, followed by attitudinal (13) and political (5) domains.
Conclusion(S):
This study identified several factors that can influence the implementation of drug dispensing and classified them according to the domains of the Apoteca framework, highlighting the multifactorial nature of the implementation process. The results of this study can guide the planning of strategies aimed at providing efficient drug dispensing in community pharmacies.
Related Concept Videos
Factors Affecting Drug Distribution: Miscellaneous Factors
Age plays a significant role due to differences in body composition among different age groups. Infants, for instance, have a higher proportion of total body water and lower albumin levels, a protein that binds drugs in the bloodstream. This unique composition in infants enhances the...
Factors Affecting Drug Distribution: Physiological Barriers
The capillary endothelial barrier allows only smaller molecules below 600 Da (Daltons) to pass through. It also restricts drugs like heparin that are bound to blood components, limiting their movement within the bloodstream.
The...
Factors Influencing Drug Absorption: Pharmaceutical Parameters
Drug Distribution: Overview
Initially, the free drug in the...
Factors Affecting Drug Distribution: Tissue Permeability
Small molecules with a molecular weight below 500 to 600 Daltons can easily pass through the capillary membrane, gaining access to different tissues. Larger...
Factors Affecting Drug Response: Overview

