General practitioners' perceptions of pharmacists working in general practice: a qualitative interview study

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Primary Care
• Pharmacy Practice

Background:

• Pharmacists in general practice improve patient care and are increasingly common globally.
• Understanding general practitioners' (GPs') perceptions is crucial for successful pharmacist integration into primary care settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore GPs' perceptions of pharmacists in general practice.
• To identify factors influencing the integration of pharmacists into general practice.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews with 15 GPs in the Republic of Ireland (October-December 2021).
• Content analysis using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to analyze perceptions.

Main Results:

• Five key TDF domains influencing integration were identified: environmental context/resources, skills, social professional role/identity, beliefs about consequences, and knowledge.
• GPs view pharmacists as medication experts but lack knowledge of their undergraduate training.
• Key integration barriers include resources, training needs, role definition, and perceived consequences like workload and patient safety.

Conclusions:

• This study provides novel insights into GPs' perceptions of pharmacists in general practice.
• Findings inform future research, service design, and the optimization of pharmacist integration into primary care.