Community pharmacists’ expanding roles in supporting patients before and during COVID-19: An exploratory qualitative study

• Published in: International journal of clinical pharmacy 2023-02, Vol.45 (1), p.64-78
• Main Authors: Isenor, Jennifer E., Cossette, Benoit, Murphy, Andrea L., Breton, Mylaine, Mathews, Maria, Moritz, Lauren R., Buote, Richard, McCarthy, Lisa, Woodill, Lisa, Morrison, Bobbi, Guénette, Line, Marshall, Emily Gard
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Attitude of Health Personnel; Community Pharmacy Services; COVID-19; Epidemics; Family medicine; Health aspects; Health care industry; Humans; Internal Medicine; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nova Scotia; Nurse practitioners; Pandemics; Pharmacists; Pharmacy; Primary health care; Professional Role; Research Article
• ISSN: 2210-7703; 2210-7711
• DOI: 10.1007/s11096-022-01430-7

Background Timely access and attachment to a primary healthcare provider is associated with better population health outcomes. In Canada, community pharmacists are highly accessible and patients struggling to access a family physician or nurse practitioner (i.e., “unattached”) may seek care from a community pharmacist. Community pharmacists took on additional roles during the COVID-19 pandemic; however, little is known about how community pharmacists managed the needs of attached and unattached patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim To describe Nova Scotian community pharmacists’ roles in caring for unattached patients before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and identifying barriers and facilitators to optimizing patient access. Method Semi-structured interviews with community pharmacists (n = 11) across the province of Nova Scotia (Canada) were conducted. Results Five key themes were noted: (1) rising pressure on pharmacists to meet unique health needs of attached and unattached patients; (2) what pharmacists have to offer (e.g., accessibility, trustworthiness); (3) positioning pharmacists in the system (e.g., how pharmacists can address gaps in primary healthcare); (4) pharmacist wellbeing; and, (5) recommendations for practice post-pandemic (e.g., maintain some policy changes made during the COVID-19 pandemic). Conclusion Before and during the pandemic, community pharmacists played a significant and increasing role providing care to patients, especially unattached patients. With growing numbers of unattached patients, it is vital that community pharmacists are supported to provide services to care for the health needs of patients.