Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

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Original Research Article

Qualitative Assessment of the Pharmacist’s Role in Punjab, Pakistan: Medical Practitioners’ Views

Saira Azhar¹*, Mohammad Azmi Hassali², Ayesha Iqbal¹, Muhammad Rouf Akram³, Mufti Attique-Ur-Rehman³, Sabiha Karim⁴, Imran Tariq⁴, Muhammad Hassham Hassan Bin Asad¹, Ismail Tarjik⁵ and Ghulam Murtaza¹

¹Department of Pharmacy, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad, Pakistan, ²Discipline of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, University Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia, ³Department of Pharmacy, University of Sargodha, Sargodha, ⁴University College of Pharmacy, University of Punjab, Lahore, ⁵Department of Pharmacy, University of Peshawar, Peshawar, Pakistan

*For correspondence: Email: drsairaazhar@gmail.com; Tel: 00923142082826; Fax: 0092992383441

Received: 8 October 2014 Revised accepted: 29 December 2014

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, February 2015; 14(2): 323-327

http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjpr.v14i2.19

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the perception of Pakistani doctors regarding pharmacist’s role in Punjab Pakistan.

Methods: A qualitative approach was used to assess the perception of doctors regarding pharmacist’s role in the study setting. A total of 12 doctors were interviewed using a semi- structured interview guide. The study was conducted for a period of 3 months in the Pakistani cities of Islamabad and Lahore, from July to September 2011. Doctors were informed regarding the aim, objective and nature of the study.

Results: All the interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed for their content. Thematic content analysis yielded four major themes: 1) Availability of pharmacist in Pakistan’s healthcare setting. 2) Willingness to collaborate with pharmacist. 3) Separation of prescribing from dispensing. 4) Difference in academic levels of doctors and pharmacist.

Conclusion: Doctors are receptive to an expanded role for pharmacists, also regard them as drug information experts, but their expectations fall short of the quality of clinically-focused pharmacy services that pharmacists are actually rendering.

Keywords: Doctors’ expectation, Pharmacist, Clinical pharmacy services, Qualitative study, Prescribing