Pharmacy under the spotlight: New Zealand pharmacists' perceptions of current and future roles and the need for accreditation

Abstract

The aim was to determine New Zealand pharmacists' views on the range of services outlined in the Ten Year Vision for Pharmacists document and the need for accreditation to provide these services. A national postal survey of practising pharmacists registered with the Pharmacy Council of New Zealand (n = 1892) was carried out, with two follow-ups. The response rate was 51.8% (n = 980 usable surveys). Findings indicated that the majority of pharmacists believe they should continue to undertake traditional clinical and technical roles (median 98.5%, range 92.7-99.3%). Less than one-third of respondents felt these activities required pharmacists to be accredited. A lower proportion, but still the majority, of respondents thought that pharmacy should undertake selected enhanced or collaborative roles (median 74.85%, range 64-92.5%). However, there was a greater emphasis on accreditation for these roles, with more than two-thirds of respondents suggesting a need for accreditation. There is a high level of support for the retention of current clinical and technical roles. A lack of need for additional accreditation suggests that pharmacists believe their training is adequate. There is a positive, but more tempered view regarding enhanced or collaborative services. There is recognition of a greater need for accreditation for enhanced and collaborative services. This suggests a cautious optimism about new services and a perceived need for pharmacists to learn more about these programmes.