Implementation priorities in Australian community pharmacy: A semi-structured survey of Australian pharmacists

Australian community pharmacy is undergoing transformation, with pharmacists increasingly contributing to primary care and providing professional services. Implementation science offers structured approaches to support the scalable and sustainable delivery of healthcare. However, most Australian research to date has been exploratory in nature.

To identify key factors influencing the implementation of professional services in Australian community pharmacies and develop a community pharmacist implementation importance scale (CPIIS).

A semi-structured national survey was conducted among Australian community pharmacists, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and Cochrane's twelve key implementation dimensions. Descriptive statistics summarised demographics and workplace practices. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) examined perceived importance of implementation elements, and correlation analyses explored associations with pharmacist and practice characteristics.

Data from 108 eligible respondents were analysed. Pharmacists reported delivering over 9000 services in the previous 14 days, with dose administration aids (67 %) and absence from work certificates (55 %) being most common. EFA identified two key dimensions: "Inner" and "Outer" contexts, with internal factors, such as staffing, workflow, and resource availability, rated as more important. Pharmacist experience was associated with a decrease in the perceived importance of the outer context. The model demonstrated good fit and internal consistency.

Australian community pharmacists currently provide an extensive number and range of professional services. Internal operational factors are prioritised for service implementation. CPIIS offers a practical tool to evaluate the priorities of community pharmacists for implementation of professional services.Ethics registration: Ethics approval from the University of Sydney Ethics and Human Research Committee was obtained [2021/170].