Clinical pharmacists in primary care: Provider satisfaction and perceived impact on quality of care provided

Abstract

Purpose:The purpose of this study is to evaluate primary care provider satisfaction and perceived impact of clinical pharmacy services on the disease state management in primary care.Methods:A cross-sectional survey with 24 items and 4 domains was distributed anonymously to pharmacy residency program directors across the United States who were requested to forward the survey to their primary care provider colleagues. Primary care providers were asked to complete the survey.Results:A total of 144 primary care providers responded to the survey, with 130 reporting a clinical pharmacist within their primary care practice and 114 completing the entire survey. Primary care providers report pharmacists positively impact quality of care (mean = 5.5 on Likert scale of 1–6; standard deviation = 0.72), high satisfaction with pharmacy services provided (5.5; standard deviation = 0.79), and no increase in workload as a result of clinical pharmacists (5.5; standard deviation = 0.77). Primary care providers would recommend clinical pharmacists to other primary care practices (5.7; standard deviation = 0.59). Primary care providers perceived specific types of pharmacy services to have the greatest impact on patient care: medication therapy management (38.6%), disease-focused management (29.82%), and medication reconciliation (11.4%). Primary care providers indicated the most valuable disease-focused pharmacy services as diabetes (58.78%), hypertension (9.65%), and pain (11.4%).Conclusion:Primary care providers report high satisfaction with and perceived benefit of clinical pharmacy services in primary care and viewed medication therapy management and disease-focused management of diabetes, hypertension, and pain as the most valuable clinical pharmacy services. These results can be used to inform development or expansion of clinical pharmacy services in primary care.

Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Clinical Pharmacy Services and Their Impact on The Management of Cancer in Taif, Saudi Arabia

“…On the other side, some studies reported resistance of HCPs especially the physicians to implication of the role of the clinical pharmacists in the hospital settings (Perera et al, 2011). This resistance may be attributed to the lack of direct contact between the physicians' and the clinical pharmacists participating in the clinical activities (Truong et al, 2017). Also, lack of knowledge with the importance of the clinical pharmacists in healthcare and deficiency of well-trained and efficient clinical pharmacists in the hospitals may be contributing factors (Albekairy et al, 2015).…”

Diabetes-Related Patient Outcomes through Comprehensive Medication Management Delivered by Clinical Pharmacists in a Rural Family Medicine Clinic

“…Other providers, such as attending physicians, medical residents, nurse practitioners, and nurses, have frequently expressed that having a clinical pharmacist as part of the interdisciplinary team is invaluable. Although this clinic has not administered a formal provider satisfaction survey regarding pharmacist-led CMM, other studies in the literature have demonstrated that pharmacists in primary care are well-received by other providers [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ]. One study that surveyed 114 primary care providers reported that PCPs believed that the addition of a clinical pharmacist has a highly positive impact on patient care and would highly recommend that other primary care practices integrate a clinical pharmacist.…”

“…One study that surveyed 114 primary care providers reported that PCPs believed that the addition of a clinical pharmacist has a highly positive impact on patient care and would highly recommend that other primary care practices integrate a clinical pharmacist. Additionally, that survey reported that 58.78% of respondents believed diabetes was the most valuable disease-focused pharmacy service, and an additional 9.65% of respondents believed it to be hypertension [ 15 ]. While the results from that survey cannot be directly applied to this current study, the CMM model has received great feedback from PCPs that highly value and appreciate the service.…”

Incorporation and Impact of a Clinical Pharmacist in a Hospital-Based Neurology Clinic Treating Patients with Multiple Sclerosis

“…The survey modeled previous studies assessing similar outcomes. [6][7][8] A total of 17 questions were included, 7 of which assessed providers' perceived impact of the clinical pharmacist on patient care and 10 assessed providers' satisfaction with the clinical pharmacist (Table S1). Both sections of the survey utilized a Likert scale for responses.…”

“…Although the survey was based on previous studies evaluating similar outcomes, [6][7][8] there was no formal process followed in survey development and the customized nature of the survey tool may not be generalizable to other institutions. Second, we were only able to capture interventions that were documented in the EMR of patients seen in the neurology clinic.…”