Profession Driven Improvement of the Quality of Pharmacy Practice-Implementation of Community Pharmacy Services Quality Guidelines in Estonia.

Kristiina Sepp,Daisy Volmer,Afonso Miguel Cavaco,Ain Raal

doi:10.3390/healthcare9070804

Kristiina Sepp, Daisy Volmer + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9070804

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Abstract

Constant improvement of the quality of community pharmacy services is important in the development of contemporary patient care. A national and voluntary Community Pharmacy Services Quality Guidelines (CPSQG) was developed to formulate the principles of contemporary pharmacy services, including quality criteria for service provision. The purpose of this study was to identify the implementation of the CPSQG as a profession-driven initiative towards improving and harmonizing community pharmacy services in Estonia. Three cross-sectional electronic surveys were conducted among community pharmacies in Estonia in 2014 (N = 478 pharmacies), 2016 (N = 493), and 2019 (N = 494), and the CPSQG indicators were used for evaluation of the service quality. In this study, the aggregated data, collected in three study years were used to identify the implementation of guidelines into practice. For data analysis, the One-Way ANOVA test and Post-hoc multiple comparisons were used. The results demonstrated slow implementation of the CPSQG, but guidelines-based evaluation enabled a detailed overview of the community pharmacy activities and provided services. In order to develop community pharmacy services more efficiently, the use of implementation science principles, continuous introduction of the CPSQG to the pharmacists, and more active involvement of the state could be considered in the future.

Highlights

Community pharmacy services are accessible healthcare services designed to provide counselling about self-treatment, safe and effective use of medicines, health promotion, and reliable healthcare resources [1]
This study aimed to identify the implementation of the Community Pharmacy Services Quality Guidelines as a profession-driven initiative towards improving and harmonizing the quality of community pharmacy services in Estonia
The four-level cycle of Plan, Do, Study and Act for quality improvement of the community pharmacy service was considered a suitable framework for implementing the Community Pharmacy Services Quality Guidelines (CPSQG)

Summary

Introduction

Community pharmacy services are accessible healthcare services designed to provide counselling about self-treatment, safe and effective use of medicines, health promotion, and reliable healthcare resources [1]. In the group of extended services, it is possible to incorporate management of chronic diseases, including medicines use review; new medicines service; early screening and testing; vaccination; smoking cessation; and point of care testing to measure blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose amongst others [2,3]. In health care systems focusing on primary health care, the role of community pharmacists in counselling and monitoring drug therapy of the patient is becoming increasingly important. Community pharmacists are taking a more significant role in health promotion and prevention, patient education, chronic disease management, and immunizations, improving access to primary health care services [5]

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