Views of Pharmacists and Government Representatives Toward the Pilot Chief Pharmacist System in Chinese Hospitals: A Multicenter Exploratory Qualitative Study

Frontiers in Public Health

article

Chen Chen¹  Amna Saeed¹  Jie Chang¹  Pengchao Li¹  Qianqian Du¹  Sen Xu¹  Jun Wen⁴  Yu Fang¹  Ruomeng Yang⁴  Qian Li¹  Khezar Hayat¹  Panpan Zhai¹  Wenchen Liu¹ 

[1] Department of Pharmacy Administration and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, Xi'an Jiaotong University;Center for Drug Safety and Policy Research, Xi'an Jiaotong University;Shaanxi Centre for Health Reform and Development Research;Department of Industrial Economics and Trade, School of Economics and Finance, Xi'an Jiaotong University;Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences

关键词: chief pharmacist system;    qualitative study;    China;    pharmaceutical service;    health system;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpubh.2022.895649

学科分类：社会科学、人文和艺术（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Background In China, the pharmacy departments of most hospitals have changed their main focus from drug procurement and distribution to providing pharmaceutical care services. Various regions of China have successively implemented the pilot Chief Pharmacist System (CPS) to help improve pharmaceutical care services and rational drug use in hospitals. This study was designed to explore the perspectives of pharmacists and government officials on CPS, including the advantages and barriers to the successful implementation of CPS. Methods A qualitative study, based on semi-structured interviews, was conducted from October 1, 2018 to March 1, 2019. The interview data were gathered from 18 pharmacy staff and government representatives working in five distinct regions of China using purposive sampling. A thematic analysis approach and NVivo version 12 Plus was utilized to code and analysis of all interviews. Results Five broad themes were identified: the role of the chief pharmacist; their attitudes toward the CPS; the advantages and results of the CPS; the barriers toward CPS; and their suggestions toward CPS. Most of the participants believed that the chief pharmacist played a vital role in a hospital. Under CPS, the hospital pharmacy department pays more attention to prescription review, medication monitoring, and pharmaceutical consultation. However, an insufficient number of pharmacy personnel, unclear authority, and inadequate salaries were the main barriers to the implementation of the CPS. Conclusion The attitudes of most of the participants were found to be positive toward CPS in China. The CPS can enhance the prestige of the hospital pharmacy department, improve the quality of hospital pharmaceutical care services, and promote rational drug use. Nevertheless, certain barriers highlighted in this study should be addressed promptly.

【 授权许可】

CC BY