Factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce: a systematic review
Abstract Background Recruiting and retaining medical, nursing, and allied health professionals in rural and remote areas is a worldwide challenge, compromising continuity of care and population health outcomes in these locations. Specifically, pharmacists play an essential and accessible frontline h...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2021-10-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07072-1 |
| _version_ | 1818695629963001856 |
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| author | Daniel Terry Hoang Phan Blake Peck Danny Hills Mark Kirschbaum Jaclyn Bishop Kehinde Obamiro Ha Hoang Hoang Nguyen Ed Baker David Schmitz |
| author_facet | Daniel Terry Hoang Phan Blake Peck Danny Hills Mark Kirschbaum Jaclyn Bishop Kehinde Obamiro Ha Hoang Hoang Nguyen Ed Baker David Schmitz |
| author_sort | Daniel Terry |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Recruiting and retaining medical, nursing, and allied health professionals in rural and remote areas is a worldwide challenge, compromising continuity of care and population health outcomes in these locations. Specifically, pharmacists play an essential and accessible frontline healthcare role, and are often the first point of contact for health concerns. Despite several incentives, there remains a maldistribution and undersupply of pharmacists in rural and remote areas across many parts of the world. Although current systematic reviews have focussed on factors affecting pharmacists’ retention generally, literature specifically focused on rural pharmacist workforce in a global context remains limited. The aim of this systematic review is to identify factors associated with recruitment and retention of the pharmacist workforce in rural and remote settings. Better understanding of these contributors will inform more effective interventional strategies to resolve pharmacist workforce shortages. Methods A systematic search of primary studies was conducted in online databases, including Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science and PsycINFO, and by hand-searching of reference lists. Eligible studies were identified based on predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria and methodological quality criteria, utilising the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and Good Reporting of A Mixed Methods Study (GRAMMS) checklists. Results The final review included 13 studies, with quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods research design. Study-specific factors associated with recruitment and retention of pharmacists in rural practice were identified and grouped into five main themes: geographic and family-related, economic and resources, scope of practice or skills development, the practice environment, and community and practice support factors. Conclusions The results provide critical insights into the complexities of rural recruitment and retention of pharmacists and confirms the need for flexible yet multifaceted responses to overcoming rural pharmacist workforce challenges. Overall, the results provide an opportunity for rural communities and health services to better identify key strengths and challenges unique to the rural and remote pharmacist workforce that may be augmented to guide more focussed recruitment and retention endeavours. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T13:48:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3e8dd29801ee4a23bbdedc740001ae36 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T13:48:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-3e8dd29801ee4a23bbdedc740001ae362022-12-21T21:46:06ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632021-10-0121111510.1186/s12913-021-07072-1Factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce: a systematic reviewDaniel Terry0Hoang Phan1Blake Peck2Danny Hills3Mark Kirschbaum4Jaclyn Bishop5Kehinde Obamiro6Ha Hoang7Hoang Nguyen8Ed Baker9David Schmitz10School Health, Federation UniversityMenzies Institute for Medical Research, University of TasmaniaSchool of Health, Federation University AustraliaSchool of Health, Federation UniversitySchool of Social Sciences, University of TasmaniaWestern AllianceWicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of TasmaniaCenter for Health Policy, Boise State UniversityDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, University of North DakotaSchool of Health, Federation University AustraliaSchool of Health, Federation University AustraliaAbstract Background Recruiting and retaining medical, nursing, and allied health professionals in rural and remote areas is a worldwide challenge, compromising continuity of care and population health outcomes in these locations. Specifically, pharmacists play an essential and accessible frontline healthcare role, and are often the first point of contact for health concerns. Despite several incentives, there remains a maldistribution and undersupply of pharmacists in rural and remote areas across many parts of the world. Although current systematic reviews have focussed on factors affecting pharmacists’ retention generally, literature specifically focused on rural pharmacist workforce in a global context remains limited. The aim of this systematic review is to identify factors associated with recruitment and retention of the pharmacist workforce in rural and remote settings. Better understanding of these contributors will inform more effective interventional strategies to resolve pharmacist workforce shortages. Methods A systematic search of primary studies was conducted in online databases, including Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science and PsycINFO, and by hand-searching of reference lists. Eligible studies were identified based on predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria and methodological quality criteria, utilising the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and Good Reporting of A Mixed Methods Study (GRAMMS) checklists. Results The final review included 13 studies, with quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods research design. Study-specific factors associated with recruitment and retention of pharmacists in rural practice were identified and grouped into five main themes: geographic and family-related, economic and resources, scope of practice or skills development, the practice environment, and community and practice support factors. Conclusions The results provide critical insights into the complexities of rural recruitment and retention of pharmacists and confirms the need for flexible yet multifaceted responses to overcoming rural pharmacist workforce challenges. Overall, the results provide an opportunity for rural communities and health services to better identify key strengths and challenges unique to the rural and remote pharmacist workforce that may be augmented to guide more focussed recruitment and retention endeavours.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07072-1pharmacistrecruitmentretentionsystematic review |
| spellingShingle | Daniel Terry Hoang Phan Blake Peck Danny Hills Mark Kirschbaum Jaclyn Bishop Kehinde Obamiro Ha Hoang Hoang Nguyen Ed Baker David Schmitz Factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce: a systematic review BMC Health Services Research pharmacist recruitment retention systematic review |
| title | Factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce: a systematic review |
| title_full | Factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce: a systematic review |
| title_fullStr | Factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce: a systematic review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce: a systematic review |
| title_short | Factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce: a systematic review |
| title_sort | factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce a systematic review |
| topic | pharmacist recruitment retention systematic review |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07072-1 |
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