A Qualitative Study to Explore Global Trends in Clinical Pharmacy Practice

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Clinical pharmacy responsibilities are expanding globally with a person-centered focus.
• Development of clinical pharmacy is influenced by country-specific facilitators and barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate global expert perspectives on advancing clinical pharmacy practice.
• Identify success factors and future outlook for clinical pharmacy.

Main Methods:

• Conducted semi-structured interviews with 13 countries' academic and practice experts.
• Explored future directions, necessary improvements in education, and success factors.
• Analyzed interview transcripts thematically.

Main Results:

• Success factors include healthcare/political support (remuneration, leadership) and pharmacist attributes (motivation, reflective practice).
• Future directions involve multidisciplinary approaches, service expansion, and primary care integration.
• Readiness for change is crucial for advancing practice.

Conclusions:

• Clinical pharmacy development is multifactorial, influenced by diverse elements.
• Study findings can catalyze national, regional, and global advancement of clinical pharmacy.
• Understanding success factors and future directions is key for practice evolution.