Pharmacy's attempts to extend its roles: a case study in South Africa

This paper examines the role expansion of community pharmacy in South Africa against the background of phenomena such as professional dominance and boundary encroachments. The study demonstrates pharmacy's thrust towards an extended and more meaningful role, making a clear distinction between the role extension concerning the granting of additional powers to prescribe medications, and that of a wider range of activities. It confirms previous claims that the opposition from the medical profession is particularly fierce when it relates to the pharmacist's ability to prescribe. The successful granting of special permits to a selected group of pharmacists to practice an extended role can be explained by the fact that it has been restricted to rural, under-served areas. The developments to date signify a partial success by the pharmacy profession towards its role extension. However, this is likely to remain limited due to the forces operating against it. Considering this context, the development of "health centres" might prove to be an alternative venue for the integration of pharmacists into the health care team.