The pharmacy as a primary care provider

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Global Health
• Pharmacy Practice

Background:

• Primary care is vital but challenging to establish in developing nations.
• Neighborhood pharmacies are ubiquitous in South Asia, serving as key points for medicine acquisition and health advice.
• Globally, pharmacies are increasingly integrated into primary care systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential of pharmacies as formal primary care providers in South Asia.
• To evaluate pharmacy performance against the seven Starfield attributes of primary care.
• To analyze data from pharmacy interventions in Bangladesh and India.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) framework.
• Analysis of data from four pharmacy-related interventions (one in Bangladesh, three in India).
• Assessment of pharmacies against Starfield attributes: first contact, continuity, comprehensiveness, coordination, family-centeredness, cultural competency, and community orientation.

Main Results:

• Pharmacies demonstrate strong community orientation and provide first-contact care.
• No direct evidence of pharmacies offering continuity of care, family-centeredness, or cultural competency was found.
• Anecdotal evidence suggests pharmacists engage in these aspects informally and inconsistently.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacies possess inherent characteristics for effective primary care delivery and access to health information.
• Additional training and resources are necessary to enhance pharmacy competency and role as a healthcare gateway.
• A long-term strategy focusing on fundamental capability enhancement is required to fully leverage pharmacy potential in primary care.