A Qualitative Study to Explore Global Trends in Clinical Pharmacy Practice

Pharmacists' clinical responsibilities have been on a progressive rise, adopting a more person-centered approach, and experiencing increased involvement in healthcare teams across all settings. The development and evolution of clinical pharmacy practice in each country depends on the existing facilitators and barriers, which are variable and highly context-related.

To investigate the perspectives of global experts regarding the advancement of clinical pharmacy practice, with a specific focus on examining the factors contributing to success and their outlook on the future of clinical pharmacy.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with academia and practice experts from 13 countries. Each expert was asked what they considered to be the future of clinical pharmacy education and practice, as well as what should be improved in the clinical pharmacy learning path to ensure that it keeps pace with the evolution of pharmacists' clinical responsibilities in practice. Success factors for change in clinical pharmacy practice were also explored. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically.

Success factors for advancing clinical pharmacy practice included elements related to the healthcare and political landscape, such as remuneration, leadership, as well as willingness and readiness for change. Other success factors identified are directly related to the pharmacist, such as the use of reflective practice or the pharmacist's motivation. Perceived future directions include the existence of a multidisciplinary approach in practice, the expansion of clinical pharmacy services, as well as the delivery of clinical pharmacy services at the primary care level.

The development of clinical pharmacy practice relies on a wide range of factors. The analysis carried out in this study of the success factors as well as the potential future directions of clinical pharmacy can serve as catalysts for the development of this pharmacy field at the country, regional, and global levels.