Recommendations for Pharmacists to Improve Relationships With Primary Care Providers

Face-to-face interactions and prompt follow up on interventions could help foster relationships between community pharmacists and primary care providers and enhance patient care, according to recommendations published in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.

Researchers conducted 19 interviews of physicians, nurse practitioners, and nurses in three primary care practices in Pennsylvania. Participants were an mean age of approximately 46 years, 58% were physicians, and 68% were female.

The qualitative analysis identified five key themes from participant responses:

1. Pharmacists are highly valued, effective team members in the promotion of coordinating medication-related care;
2. Direct access to pharmacists improves communication and patient care;
3. Trust is the foundation of an effective pharmacist/provider relationship;
4. Pharmacists demonstrating responsibility for patients enables collaboration with providers who view themselves as stewards of patient care; and
5. Providers believe dispensing requirements may limit pharmacists’ ability to participate in patient care.

“Collaborative relationships between community pharmacists and health care professionals in primary care practices can assist with the provision of medication and disease management services in community pharmacy settings,” study authors wrote.

Recommendations for pharmacists included initiating face-to-face relationships with providers, conveying patient interventions directly to providers, conducting communication with the same pharmacist for consistency, and following up promptly on interventions to demonstrate a commitment to patient care.

Reference:
Kauffman YS, Wright EA, Patterson BJ, Coley KC. Informing collaborative relationships between community pharmacists and health care professionals in primary care practices [published online ahead of print June 17, 2021]. J Am Pharm Assoc. 2021;S1544-3191(21)00284-3. doi:10.1016/j.japh.2021.06.016