A unifying vision for pharmacy: Defining professional identity through stakeholder perspectives

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice Research
• Health Services Research
• Sociology of Professions

Background:

• The pharmacy profession is at a critical juncture, necessitating a unified vision to meet evolving healthcare demands.
• Understanding stakeholder perceptions is crucial for defining the future societal role of pharmacists.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define a cohesive, stakeholder-informed vision for the US pharmacist's societal role.
• To analyze perceptions from education, practice, and policy stakeholders regarding pharmacy's future.

Main Methods:

• Multi-method qualitative design utilizing thematic analysis, metaphor discourse analysis, and force field mapping.
• Data collected from 27 focus groups and 8 interviews with 148 participants across 8 stakeholder categories.
• Analysis aligned with national pharmacy forecast reports.

Main Results:

• Six key themes emerged: medication safety/optimization, healthcare access/equity, chronic disease management, health promotion, preventative services, and patient advocacy.
• Five metaphorical roles identified: Safety Net, Steward, Coach, Navigator, and Advocate, reflecting a multidimensional professional identity.
• Force field analysis revealed drivers (e.g., accessibility, safety) and barriers (e.g., provider status, regulatory variation).

Conclusions:

• An empirically grounded framework supports a unifying vision for pharmacy's future.
• Stakeholder insights highlight the need for education reform, policy changes, and clearer communication.
• Repositioning pharmacists requires embracing a hybrid identity and dismantling structural barriers to enhance health system transformation.