The complexity of implementation factors in professional pharmacy services

Implementation of professional pharmacy services is a complex process, in which multi-level factors interact and influence implementation process and outcomes at various levels or domains. In this paper the terms that have been used to describe the factors that influence implementation of evidence-based services and their domains are presented. The complex ‘cause-and-effect’ interactions by which implementation factors appear to interact throughout the implementation process are also discussed. Identifying and understanding these complex and causal relationships between different implementation factors, represents a key process in the implementation of any service, in order to assist in the development of tailored implementation strategies. Future research should be directed to gain an understanding of the nature of individual implementation factors, their cause-and-effect interactions, and their relationships. Implementation strategies are less likely to succeed unless these are identified and targeted to the causes identified when designing and planning an implementation strategy.     

Using network analysis to explore factors moderating the implementation of a medication review service in community pharmacy

BackgroundImplementation factors are hypothesised to moderate the implementation of innovations. Although individual barriers and facilitators have been identified for the implementation of different evidence-based services in pharmacy, relationships between implementation factors are usually not considered.ObjectivesTo examine how a network of implementation factors and the position of each factor within this network structure influences the implementation of a medication review service in community pharmacy.MethodsA mixed methods approach was used. Medication review with follow-up service was the innovation to be implemented over 12 months in community pharmacies. A network analysis to model relationships between implementation factors was undertaken. Two networks were created.ResultsImplementation factors hindering the service implementation with the highest centrality measures were time, motivation, recruitment, individual identification with the organization and personal characteristics of the pharmacists. Three hundred and sixty-nine different interrelationships between implementation factors were identified. Important causal relationships between implementation factors included: workflow-time; characteristics of the pharmacy-time; personal characteristics of the pharmacists-motivation.Implementation factors facilitating the implementation of the service with highest centrality scores were motivation, individual identification with the organization, beliefs, adaptability, recruitment, external support and leadership. Four hundred and fifty-six different interrelationships were identified. The important causal relationships included: motivation-external support; structure-characteristics of the pharmacy; demographics-location of the pharmacy.ConclusionNetwork analysis has proven to be a useful technique to explore networks of factors moderating the implementation of a pharmacy service. Relationships were complex with most implementation factors being interrelated. Motivation and individual identification with the organisation seemed critical factors in both hindering and facilitating the service implementation. The results can inform the design of implementation programs and tailored strategies to promote faster implementation of innovations in pharmacy.     

Assessing the comparative effectiveness of implementation strategies for professional services to community pharmacy: A systematic review

BackgroundDespite the growth of research in how professional services are implemented in the community pharmacy setting, there is limited evidence for which implementation strategy is more effective.ObjectiveThe aim of this review was to assess the evidence for the comparative effectiveness of implementation strategies for pharmacist delivered professional services in the community pharmacy.MethodsStudies comparing implementation strategies published in the last 13 years in English were extracted via four databases, combining the topics of ‘pharmacy’, ‘pharmacy services’ and ‘implementation’. Experimental studies with quantitative evaluation of two or more implementation strategies were included. Selected studies were screened through three internationally recognised tools, two focusing on implementation: quality of evidence (Cochrane Qualitative & Implementation Methods Group), reporting standards (Standards for Reporting Implementation Studies - StaRI), and one assessing the risk of bias (The Risk of Bias in Non-randomised Studies of Interventions).ResultsSix studies were identified, assessing the implementation of services improving use of medicines (n = 2), primary care and public health services (n = 3), and one study evaluating the implementation of services in both categories. Some form of staff training was demonstrated to be more effective (n = 4). The risk of bias ranged from moderate to critical. With respect to reporting on StaRI tool items, the mention of these was, in the majority, indirect. Items such as harms and published protocols and economic evaluation were not reported in any of the studies included in the final review, highlighting opportunities for improvement.ConclusionsTraining may be superior for implementation of professional services to community pharmacies, although this finding is limited by a moderate to critical risk of bias. A recommendation to researchers is for the greater use of comparative implementation study designs that reflect recognised reporting, quality and validity tools.RegistrationNone.     

A multilevel stakeholder approach for identifying the determinants of implementation of government-funded community pharmacy services at the primary care level

Background

A key early step to enhance the integration of community pharmacy services (CPSs) into primary care practice is identifying key determinants of practice (i.e., critical circumstances that influence the implementation of such services). Involving relevant stakeholders in identifying key determinants enables findings to be more relevant to the context in which CPSs will be implemented.

Intervention research to enhance community pharmacists' cognitive services: A systematic review

BackgroundPositive impact of community pharmacists' cognitive pharmaceutical services (CPS) is well documented. However, community pharmacists have been slow to expand CPS roles. This systematic review explores how community pharmacy intervention research can help inform efforts to expand cognitive pharmaceutical service delivery.ObjectivesTo: 1) identify community pharmacy CPS intervention studies that report data on pharmacist behaviors, either as a final study outcome itself or as a fidelity measure in patient outcome studies, and 2) describe the state of this research to help frame future research agendas.MethodsEmpirical articles examining improvement or expansion of community pharmacist cognitive services published through December 2010 were searched using various search engines, bibliography searches and authors' libraries. Studies were included if they: 1) reported findings on pharmacist behaviors during cognitive service delivery, 2) employed a minimum of pre-post design or two study arms for pharmacists/pharmacies, and 3) were in community-based pharmacies.ResultsA total of 50 studies evaluated impact of community pharmacy based CPS delivery; however, only 21 included a pharmacist behavior outcome measure as a final outcome or as a fidelity measure. The majority (14 out of 21) of studies used a randomized controlled trial design. Nearly half (10 of 21) addressed asthma or tobacco cessation. Limited details were provided about interventions to prepare pharmacists for CPS delivery. The most frequent measures of pharmacist behavior were patient surveys and observation of pharmacists' behavior by secret shoppers; electronic data sets were rarely used.ConclusionsThere is a need for well-designed intervention research that evaluates how interventions impact on pharmacist cognitive service behavior. Positive findings from this review reinforce that planned interventions have the potential to improve and expand pharmacist cognitive service delivery; however, more detail is needed in study publications for this potential to be fully realized.     

Drawing out experience: Arts-informed qualitative research exploring public perceptions of community pharmacy services

In many countries around the world, people go to community pharmacies to receive primary health care services. Awareness of public views and experiences may help to identify opportunities for greater uptake of primary health care services provided by pharmacists and ways to improve care. Arts-informed research offers the possibility to provide additional insights into public perceptions of community pharmacy services. The purpose of this exploratory study is to describe the process and results of an arts-informed research project using an adapted version of the draw and write technique in combination with focus group interviews to explore public perceptions of community pharmacy services. The draw and write technique was introduced as an introductory activity to evoke a visual expression of participants’ perceptions and experiences with community pharmacy services. Participants were invited to answer the question, “What do community pharmacy services mean to you?” in the form of a drawing and words. They were then prompted to discuss their drawings in a focus group interview. This approach resulted in rich visual and textual data. Analysis consisted of a combination of manual sorting of the visual data and examination of the focus group interview data that were transcribed verbatim, anonymized, and analyzed using an inductive comparative approach. NVIVO version 12 software was used to code and manage all data. Use of the draw and write technique elicited initial, fresh perspectives about community pharmacy services prior to discussions with participants in the focus group interviews. This approach allowed researchers to access a diverse range of experiences and perspectives.     

Factors influencing the implementation of clinical pharmacy services for hospitalized patients: A mixed-methods systematic review

BackgroundDespite the evidence of benefits, clinical pharmacy services (CPS) are not uniformly implemented across healthcare institutions. Understanding the influencing factors and identifying the domains in which they act is the first step to a successful implementation.ObjectiveTo identify the factors that affect the implementation of CPS for inpatients and to categorize them.MethodsCochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, IPA, Medline/PubMed, and Lilacs databases were researched up until January 2018. The search strategy was developed using text words or MESH terms related to the following four domains: “clinical pharmacy,” “influencing factors,” “implementation,” and “hospital.” Two reviewers selected original research articles that reported the factors influencing the implementation of CPS in hospitals, extracted data, and assessed the quality of the studies. After framework synthesis and categorization of the factors, a diagrammatic approach was used to present the results.ResultsFifty-three factors were identified in the 21 studies that were included in this review. The most cited influencing factors were uniformly distributed across the following four domains: Attitudinal, POlitical, TEChnical and Administrative (APOTECA domains). However, in terms of level (pharmacist, healthcare team, patient, institution, and national organization), the “pharmacist” group had the highest concentration of factors. “Clinical skills and knowledge” was the most frequently cited implementation factor, followed by “time to implement CPS.”ConclusionOur findings showed the multifactorial nature of CPS implementation process. We suggest that factors from all four APOTECA domains need to be fully considered and strategies need to be addressed for all five groups of interest to successfully implement CPS in hospitals. Future studies on the influence of implementation stages, interrelationships of implementing factors, and strategies to overcome barriers could accelerate the successful adoption of these services.RegistrationPROSPERO register CRD42016050140.     

Measurement of patient satisfaction with community pharmacy services: a review

Aim of the review The aim of this review is to conduct an in-depth analysis of the available literature in order to identify and evaluate studies measuring patient satisfaction with pharmacy services delivered by pharmacists in a community setting. Method An extensive literature search was conducted in five databases (Medline, Scopus, Embase, Psychinfo, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts) using the search terms “patient/client/consumer satisfaction” AND “community pharmacy/pharmacies” AND “pharmacy service/pharmaceutical services/pharmacy program/intervention/intervention studies”. Only those articles where the main focus was measuring patient satisfaction with services delivered in community pharmacies were included in the review. Patient satisfaction was explored with three different levels of pharmacy services—general services, intervention services and cognitive services. Results Twenty-four articles measuring patient satisfaction with community pharmacy services were retrieved. Of these, eleven measured patient satisfaction with general services, six measured satisfaction with intervention services and seven measured satisfaction with cognitive services. The majority of studies reviewed had adopted and measured satisfaction as a multidimensional construct. None of the studies reviewed tested any theoretical models of satisfaction. Further a lack of consistent instruments measuring patient satisfaction was observed, with most of the reviewed studies using self developed, non-validated or ad hoc instruments with items from various previously published papers. The review also observed high levels of patient satisfaction with pharmacy services be they general, intervention or cognitive services. Conclusion This review found that patient satisfaction has been measured within the community pharmacy context to a certain degree. Further research is needed to develop and test instruments based on theoretical frameworks, to test satisfaction pre and post hoc and in well designed randomized controlled trials and to measure changes in satisfaction over time. Novel approaches involving an understanding of expectations and preferences of patients and matching these to the services provided also need to be explored.     

Drive-thru pharmacy services: A way forward to combat COVID-19 pandemic

Countries around the globe have responded to pandemic preparedness and developed strategies to cope with the COVID-19 crisis. In this context, the role of healthcare professionals is of paramount importance. Pharmacists are playing a vital role in dealing, preparedness, prevention, protection, promoting access to medicines and to improve health outcomes during this crisis. In this context, “Drive-thru” pharmacy services improve access to medicines while ensuring the preventive measures suggested by the World Health Organization. This commentary provides an overview of opportunities and challenges related to the implementation of “drive-thru pharmacy services” and their role in improving public health during this crisis.     

A community pharmacy practice-based research network: A protocol for a realist evaluation

BackgroundCommunity pharmacists' active participation in research is essential to build a robust, translatable evidence base. Practice-based research networks (PBRNs) have been established to support collaborative research and knowledge translation in community pharmacies. However, PBRNs' effectiveness in supporting research engagement and knowledge translation remains unexplored. A new PBRN will be implemented in southeast Queensland, Australia. This realist evaluation seeks to explain whether, how, why, for whom, in what context and over what duration the PBRN supports community pharmacists to engage in research.Objectives1. to generate transferable knowledge about the different circumstances in which—and the mechanisms by which—a PBRN influences research engagement outcomes for different community pharmacists, in the form of a program theory.2. To use the program theory to develop evidence-informed recommendations for use by PBRN stakeholders.MethodsA realist evaluation will be conducted in four iterative phases: (1) theory development, (2) hypothesis generation, (3) observations, and (4) theory refinement. A two-year multi-method study will be conducted, including interviews with pharmacists, surveys, participatory and observational data collection. The evidence will be used to confirm, refute, and/or refine the program theory. The evaluation will adhere to the Realist And Meta-Narrative Evidence Synthesis (RAMESES) publication and quality standards.ConclusionsThe evaluation will contribute to the body of knowledge by generating a realist program theory to explain how, why, for whom, in what contexts, to what extent, in what respects, and over what duration the PBRN supports community pharmacists to engage in research. The findings will support the broader implementation of PBRNs and future network activities.     

The role of information technology in the development of community pharmacy services: Visions and strategic views of international experts

Background

Community pharmacy’s strategic vision has been to extend practice responsibilities beyond dispensing and provide patient care services. Few studies have evaluated the strategic and long-term development of information technology (IT) systems to support this vision.

Objective

The objective of this study was to explore international experts’ visions and strategic views on IT development needs in relation to service provision in community pharmacies.

Method

Semistructured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 14 experts from 8 countries in 2007-2008. These experts had expertise in the development of community pharmacy services and IT. The interviews were content analyzed using a constant comparison approach and a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis was undertaken.

Results

Most of the experts shared the vision for community pharmacy adopting a patient care orientation; supported by IT-based documentation, new technological solutions, access to information, and shared patient data. Opportunities to achieve this vision included IT solutions, professional skills, and interprofessional collaboration. Threats included costs, pharmacists’ attitude, and the absence of IT solutions.

Conclusions

Those responsible for IT development in community pharmacy sector should create long-term IT development strategies that are in line with community pharmacy service development strategies.     

Design of an algorithm to support community pharmacy dyspepsia management

Objectives To design a care pathway and referral documentation system to support dyspepsia management in the community pharmacy according to national guidelines. To explore attitudes of community pharmacists and general practitioners (GPs) towards the proposed model of care. Setting Focus group of four community pharmacists from one locality and one-to-one interviews with five GPs in each of their surgeries in different city localities. Method Literature review; design of a care pathway and referral system; qualitative analysis of focus group discussion and one-to-one interviews. Main outcome measure Modified design of documentation system; attitudes and barriers towards an extended role for pharmacists in a community pharmacy based model of individual care of patients with dyspepsia. Results The care pathway and documentation system was modified to make it simple to use and to assure appropriate referral and reporting to GPs. All participants agreed that the SIGN guideline for Dyspepsia and local dyspepsia guidelines provide an opportunity to extend the role of pharmacists to prescribe therapeutic doses of H₂ receptor antagonists, test for Helicobacter pylori in the pharmacy and prescribe eradication therapy. Perceived advantages to patients included better convenience and reduced waiting times for H. pylori testing. Current barriers to this model identified were: medico-legal issues, budgetary issues, limited access to patient data, lack of privacy to talk to patients, inadequate time and remuneration, no patient registration, patients describing vague symptoms and patient confidence in pharmacists. Conclusion The proposed model of care and documentation system for community pharmacy based dyspepsia management generated a favourable response and design contributions from community pharmacists and GPs. Barriers were identified which have to be overcome prior to implementation and evaluation of the model. This study was conducted by the lead author when based in NHS Lothian, Scotland to undertake an MSc in Clinical Pharmacy at University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.     

Changing a profession, influencing community pharmacy

The authors set out to describe the possible impact of the continuing education activities of the Community Pharmacy Section (CPS) of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) on the profession in the period from 1980 to 2002 (approximately the last two decades of the 20th century) by reviewing and interpreting documents of the Community Pharmacy Section of the International Pharmaceutical Federation. The educational activities of the CPS have resulted in a high level of satisfaction among the participants. The CPS has also coordinated international practice research and the dissemination of the concept of pharmaceutical care. Additionally, the section's activities have informed the members of national pharmaceutical associations about new concepts, and stimulated projects on the added value of pharmacy. There are reasons to believe that the activities have created agents of change. It seems that the activities of the section have had some effect, although the exact impact remains difficult to measure because no structured evaluation method has been applied from the beginning of the continuing education activities.