The legal extension of the role of pharmacists in light of the COVID-19 global pandemic

Piotr Merks; Marta Jakubowska; Ewelina Drelich; Damian Świeczkowski; Joanna Bogusz; Krzysztof Bilmin; Katarina Fehir Sola; Andreas May; Anita Majchrowska; Mark Koziol; Jakub Pawlikowski; Miłosz Jaguszewski; Regis Vaillancourt

doi:10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.05.033

The legal extension of the role of pharmacists in light of the COVID-19 global pandemic

Res Social Adm Pharm. 2021 Jan;17(1):1807-1812. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.05.033. Epub 2020 Jun 12.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, Wóycickiego 1/3, 01-938, Warsaw, Poland; Trade Union of Pharmacy Workers, Meriana C. Coopera 6B/10, 01-315, Warsaw, Poland; Polish Pharmaceutical Group, Zbąszyńska 3, 91-342, Łódź, Poland; Employed Pharmacist in Europe (EPhEU) C/o Verband Angestellter Apotheker Österreichs (VAAÖ) Berufliche Interessenvertretung, Spitalgasse 31/4, 1090, Vienna, Austria; Department of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, CollegiumMedicum in Bydgoszcz, A. Jurasza 2, 85-089 Bydgoszcz, Poland. Electronic address: p.merks@uksw.edu.pl.
² Trade Union of Pharmacy Workers, Meriana C. Coopera 6B/10, 01-315, Warsaw, Poland; Polish Pharmaceutical Group, Zbąszyńska 3, 91-342, Łódź, Poland.
³ First Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7, 80-952, Gdańsk, Poland.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology, National Institute of Public Health, National Institute of Hygiene, Chocimska 24, 00-791, Warsaw, Poland.
⁵ Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, Wóycickiego 1/3, 01-938, Warsaw, Poland.
⁶ Pharmacy of Bjelovar, Petra Preradovića 4, Bjelovar, Croatia; Employed Pharmacist in Europe (EPhEU) C/o Verband Angestellter Apotheker Österreichs (VAAÖ) Berufliche Interessenvertretung, Spitalgasse 31/4, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
⁷ Employed Pharmacist in Europe (EPhEU) C/o Verband Angestellter Apotheker Österreichs (VAAÖ) Berufliche Interessenvertretung, Spitalgasse 31/4, 1090, Vienna, Austria; ADEXA Die Apothekengewerkschaft, ADEXA, Hudtwalckerstraße 10, 22299, Hamburg, Germany.
⁸ Department of Medical Sociology, Medical University of Lublin, Aleje Racławickie 1, 20-059, Lublin, Poland.
⁹ Employed Pharmacist in Europe (EPhEU) C/o Verband Angestellter Apotheker Österreichs (VAAÖ) Berufliche Interessenvertretung, Spitalgasse 31/4, 1090, Vienna, Austria; Pharmacy Defence Association, 69 Albion St, B1 3EA, Birmingham, United Kingdom.
¹⁰ Faculty of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University, Wóycickiego 1/3, 01-938, Warsaw, Poland; Department of Medical Sociology, Medical University of Lublin, Aleje Racławickie 1, 20-059, Lublin, Poland.
¹¹ Polish Pharmaceutical Group, Zbąszyńska 3, 91-342, Łódź, Poland; First Department of Cardiology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Dębinki 7, 80-952, Gdańsk, Poland.
¹² Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Centre Hospitalier pour Enfants de L'est de L'Ontario, 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L1, Canada.

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 epidemic has affected every area of life. The greatest challenge has been to adapt the functioning of the health service to prevent the spread of the epidemic and to help infected patients. This has required the involvement of not only doctors and nurses, but also pharmacists. In the face of this pandemic, governments in many countries have granted pharmacists greater authority.

Objectives: The purpose of this paper is to review the legal extension of the role of pharmacists in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The review considers recent changes in European countries, Canada, and the United States.

Methods: A literature review was performed to summarise knowledge about the extension of the role of pharmacists during the pandemic period. Key articles were retrieved mainly from PubMed and Google Scholar, using the terms "COVID-19", "2019-nCoV", "coronavirus", and "pandemic" in combination with "pharmacist" as keywords for our search. We included scientific publications from February 1, 2019 to May 15, 2020.

Results: Pharmacists have been given numerous opportunities so that they can actively join in the fight against the virus. Some of the novel legal extensions aimed at aiding overloaded healthcare systems are as follows: authorisation to prepare hand and surface disinfectants, eligibility to renew chronic treatment prescriptions, as well as filling pro auctore and pro familia prescriptions by pharmacists, performing COVID-19, influenza, and Group A Streptococcus screening tests, and vaccine administration. Moreover, many countries have facilitated Internet services, such as virtual medical consultations, e-prescriptions, and home drug delivery - to promote social distancing among patients. To mitigate drug shortages, the following strategies have been implemented: alternative sourcing, strength, generic, or therapeutic substitution, and preparing compounded formulations at the pharmacy.

Conclusions: Novel legal extensions have allowed exploitation of the full potential ofpharmacists worldwide, aiding the limited resources of overloaded healthcare systems.

Keywords: COVID-19; Community pharmacies; Legislation; Pharmaceutical care; Pharmacist.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

COVID-19 / epidemiology
COVID-19 / therapy*
Delivery of Health Care / legislation & jurisprudence
Delivery of Health Care / organization & administration
Humans
Legislation, Pharmacy
Pharmaceutical Services / organization & administration*
Pharmacists / legislation & jurisprudence
Pharmacists / organization & administration*
Professional Role