Exploring the role of pharmacists in private primary healthcare clinics in Malaysia: the views of general practitioners

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundPrivate general practitioners (GPs) in Malaysia mainly operate solo practices with little interdisciplinary collaboration or co‐ordination with other healthcare providers which potentially fragments and limits patient care. Pharmacists as medication experts can contribute to the private primary care sector using their influence to ensure quality use of medicines.AimTo explore the views of private GPs in Malaysia on integration of pharmacists into private primary healthcare clinics.MethodA combination of purposive and snowballing sampling was used to recruit private sector GPs to participate in focus groups and semi‐structured interviews in Malaysia. Sessions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed using NVivo 10.ResultsThirteen private GPs participated in one focus group and ten semi‐structured interviews. Four major themes were identified: (i) poor understanding of pharmacists’ roles; (ii) readiness to accept pharmacists in private primary healthcare clinics; (iii) lack of confidence and trust in pharmacists; and (iv) perceived increased costs with pharmacist integration. Results indicated participants’ views and acceptance were largely influenced by the amount of exposure and experience they had working alongside pharmacists. Participants viewed a lack of confidence in pharmacists and increase in costs associated with an employed pharmacist within private primary healthcare clinics as barriers to integration.ConclusionPrivate GPs expressed reservations toward this new model due to the lack of understanding of pharmacists’ roles and responsibilities. There is a need for awareness among private GPs on pharmacists’ roles to improve their acceptance of the integration of pharmacists into private primary healthcare clinics in Malaysia.