Perspectives of clinical pharmacists on the provision of pharmaceutical care through telepharmacy services during COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar: A focus group
<h4>Background</h4> Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created unprecedented pressures on healthcare systems and led to the widespread adoption of telepharmacy services, a practice that was not previously established in the state of Qatar. <h4>Objective</h4> The -st...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2022-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9560548/?tool=EBI |
| _version_ | 1811238928187916288 |
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| author | Eman Alhmoud Dania Al Khiyami Raja Barazi Mohammed Saad Ali Al-Omari Ahmed Awaisu Rasha El Enany Moza Al Hail |
| author_facet | Eman Alhmoud Dania Al Khiyami Raja Barazi Mohammed Saad Ali Al-Omari Ahmed Awaisu Rasha El Enany Moza Al Hail |
| author_sort | Eman Alhmoud |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Background</h4> Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created unprecedented pressures on healthcare systems and led to the widespread adoption of telepharmacy services, a practice that was not previously established in the state of Qatar. <h4>Objective</h4> The -study aimed to explore clinical pharmacists’ (CPs) perspectives and experiences in utilizing telepharmacy for the provision of pharmaceutical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. <h4>Methods</h4> A descriptive, qualitative approach using face-to-face focus group (FG) discussions was used. CPs across Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) were purposively invited to participate in the study. FG discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and validated. Transcripts were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Recruitment continued until a saturation point was achieved. <h4>Results</h4> We conducted five focus groups that included 23 CPs and led to seven themes. Overall, CPs reported inadequate preparedness for the practice of telepharmacy, which they perceived as challenging. The primary perceived benefits of telepharmacy were decreased infection exposure risk, improved quality of care, improved patients’ satisfaction, and enhanced workplace efficiency and productivity. The main highlighted risks of telepharmacy were related to threatened patient confidentiality, missed pharmaceutical care opportunities, and negatively impacted professional rapport with other healthcare providers; and the major perceived challenges were low digital health literacy, complex illnesses and medication regimens, lack of standardized protocols, and inadequacy of resources and cultural resistance for virtual care. Participants recommended standardization and training, resource allocation, and proper service promotion as potential facilitators of telepharmacy practice. <h4>Conclusion</h4> The current study revealed that despite perceived barriers, pharmacists identified several benefits of telepharmacy and recommended potential facilitators that should be used to integrate and sustain the practice of telepharmacy in the future. Future studies should investigate the impact of telepharmacy on clinical pharmacy interventions and patient outcomes. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T12:50:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-beb4d4eee84246baa40811ad26832d3c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T12:50:53Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-beb4d4eee84246baa40811ad26832d3c2022-12-22T03:32:29ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-011710Perspectives of clinical pharmacists on the provision of pharmaceutical care through telepharmacy services during COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar: A focus groupEman AlhmoudDania Al KhiyamiRaja BaraziMohammed SaadAli Al-OmariAhmed AwaisuRasha El EnanyMoza Al Hail<h4>Background</h4> Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic created unprecedented pressures on healthcare systems and led to the widespread adoption of telepharmacy services, a practice that was not previously established in the state of Qatar. <h4>Objective</h4> The -study aimed to explore clinical pharmacists’ (CPs) perspectives and experiences in utilizing telepharmacy for the provision of pharmaceutical care during the COVID-19 pandemic. <h4>Methods</h4> A descriptive, qualitative approach using face-to-face focus group (FG) discussions was used. CPs across Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) were purposively invited to participate in the study. FG discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and validated. Transcripts were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Recruitment continued until a saturation point was achieved. <h4>Results</h4> We conducted five focus groups that included 23 CPs and led to seven themes. Overall, CPs reported inadequate preparedness for the practice of telepharmacy, which they perceived as challenging. The primary perceived benefits of telepharmacy were decreased infection exposure risk, improved quality of care, improved patients’ satisfaction, and enhanced workplace efficiency and productivity. The main highlighted risks of telepharmacy were related to threatened patient confidentiality, missed pharmaceutical care opportunities, and negatively impacted professional rapport with other healthcare providers; and the major perceived challenges were low digital health literacy, complex illnesses and medication regimens, lack of standardized protocols, and inadequacy of resources and cultural resistance for virtual care. Participants recommended standardization and training, resource allocation, and proper service promotion as potential facilitators of telepharmacy practice. <h4>Conclusion</h4> The current study revealed that despite perceived barriers, pharmacists identified several benefits of telepharmacy and recommended potential facilitators that should be used to integrate and sustain the practice of telepharmacy in the future. Future studies should investigate the impact of telepharmacy on clinical pharmacy interventions and patient outcomes.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9560548/?tool=EBI |
| spellingShingle | Eman Alhmoud Dania Al Khiyami Raja Barazi Mohammed Saad Ali Al-Omari Ahmed Awaisu Rasha El Enany Moza Al Hail Perspectives of clinical pharmacists on the provision of pharmaceutical care through telepharmacy services during COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar: A focus group PLoS ONE |
| title | Perspectives of clinical pharmacists on the provision of pharmaceutical care through telepharmacy services during COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar: A focus group |
| title_full | Perspectives of clinical pharmacists on the provision of pharmaceutical care through telepharmacy services during COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar: A focus group |
| title_fullStr | Perspectives of clinical pharmacists on the provision of pharmaceutical care through telepharmacy services during COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar: A focus group |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perspectives of clinical pharmacists on the provision of pharmaceutical care through telepharmacy services during COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar: A focus group |
| title_short | Perspectives of clinical pharmacists on the provision of pharmaceutical care through telepharmacy services during COVID-19 pandemic in Qatar: A focus group |
| title_sort | perspectives of clinical pharmacists on the provision of pharmaceutical care through telepharmacy services during covid 19 pandemic in qatar a focus group |
| url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9560548/?tool=EBI |
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