Pathways to Developing Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners: Is There a Better Way Forward? (Path-CPP)

Clinical Pharmacist Practitioners (CPPs) are independent care providers who practise to their full scope and have a positive impact on the quality of patient care. Ideally, all pharmacists in Canada would perform at this level. However, there is significant diversity in pharmacy practice across the country and among practice settings. It would be valuable to better understand how pharmacists attain CPP-level practice and what strategies might enable more pharmacists to practise at this level.

To understand the perceptions of current CPPs and stakeholders in the health care system regarding the status of the CPP role in Canada and to propose pathways that would facilitate the attainment and recognition of CPP-level practice.

A qualitative study was conducted using semistructured interviews of peer-nominated CPPs and health care system stakeholders. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed using thematic analysis.

Interviews involving 13 CPPs and 6 health care system stakeholders, conducted between March and July 2020, yielded 3 theme categories related to CPP roles, each containing subthemes, and 3 distinct themes relating to pathways forward. The 3 pathway themes were the following: that a legislative solution for expanded pharmacist scope is needed, that a new degree program is not required for pharmacy in Canada, and that a unified national credential signifying high-level practice might allow for better recognition of CPPs.

The full potential of pharmacists practising with advanced scope of practice in Canada has yet to be realized. Although significant external challenges exist, pharmacists must reframe the narrative by clearly articulating and defining their role within the Canadian health care system to increase CPP-level practice.