A bibliometric analysis describing the global scope of pharmacist roles (2000-2024)

The roles of pharmacists are expanding in response to shifts in the healthcare environment and public need. An update on global expansion of pharmacists' scope of practice is needed to better understand the current and future directions of pharmacy practice. A bibliometric analysis is an effective way of examining the literature to provide valuable insights.

To describe the characteristics, trends, and interconnections of pharmacy-related publications addressing the scope of pharmacist-provided services.

A comprehensive literature search using keywords and subject headings for pharmacist-related scope of practice was conducted. The results were imported to Covidence and underwent title and abstract screening, then categorized into practice scope and pharmacist roles. A bibliometric analysis was used to describe the characteristics and trends as well as co-occurrence networks (i.e., connections) across thematic categories.

From 6000 initial studies, a total of 1831 publications from 2000 to 2024 in 435 journals were included. Eight different pharmacy practice settings were identified, of which, Community, Hospital, and Ambulatory Care were the most frequently reported with 724 (39.5%), 592 (32.3%), and 430 (23.5%) publications, respectively. The most frequently reported subcategories were Patient Counseling and Medication Therapy Management, identified as the top 2 co-occurrence for all three practice settings. Clinical Outcomes, Health Care Quality, Substance Use Disorder Management, Telepharmacy, and Pharmacogenomics were identified more frequently in recent publications.

This study used bibliometric analysis to examine the past and current trends in the scope of pharmacy practice globally. The results show that the scope of pharmacists is expanding beyond traditional dispensing roles, while also showing emerging practice areas in recent years that align with the current changes in health care and society.