Pharmacists' experience of a diabetes risk-assessment service and analytical quality control in community pharmacies - A focus-group study

Aslaug Johanne Risøy; Reidun Lisbet Skeide Kjome; Karin Svensberg; Målfrid Råheim; Una Ørvim Sølvik

doi:10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.09.011

Pharmacists' experience of a diabetes risk-assessment service and analytical quality control in community pharmacies - A focus-group study

Res Social Adm Pharm. 2021 Jul;17(7):1259-1266. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.09.011. Epub 2020 Sep 19.

Authors

Aslaug Johanne Risøy¹, Reidun Lisbet Skeide Kjome², Karin Svensberg³, Målfrid Råheim⁴, Una Ørvim Sølvik⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, PO Box 7804, N-5020, Bergen, Norway; Centre for Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, PO Box 780, N-5007, Bergen, Norway; Norwegian Quality Improvement of Laboratory Examinations (Noklus), Haraldsplass Deaconess Hospital, Bergen, PO Box 6165, N-5892, Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: aslaug.risoy@uib.no.
² Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, PO Box 7804, N-5020, Bergen, Norway; Centre for Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, PO Box 780, N-5007, Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: reidun.kjome@uib.no.
³ Section for Pharmaceutics and Social Pharmacy, PharmaSafe Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, PO Box 1068, Blindern, N-0316, Oslo, Norway; Department of Life Sciences and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo Metropolitan University, PO Box 4, St. Olavs Plass, NO-0130, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: Karin.svensberg@gmail.com.
⁴ Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, PO Box 7804, N-5020, Bergen, Norway; Institute of Health and Social Sciences, Molde University College, PO Box 2110, NO-6402, Molde, Norway. Electronic address: malfrid.raheim@uib.no.
⁵ Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, PO Box 7804, N-5020, Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: una.solvik@uib.no.

PMID: 34155978
DOI: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.09.011

Abstract

Background: Healthcare services such as diabetes risk-assessment are increasingly common in community pharmacies. Knowledge of community pharmacists' experiences of such services could ease the implementation of a larger-scale service.

Objectives: To explore Norwegian pharmacists' experience of a diabetes risk-assessment service, including analytical quality control, in a community-pharmacy setting.

Methods: Three focus-group interviews were conducted in Norway between August and September 2017. Systematic text condensation was used, an analytic approach well suited for thematic content analysis across interview data. Fourteen pharmacists took part, recruited from a project offering a diabetes risk-assessment service, including measurements of Glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), in Norwegian community pharmacies.

Results: The pharmacists emphasized the importance of using their knowledge and skills to promote good health. They considered offering this service as being compatible with their role as pharmacists. As communication is an essential part of their work, the pharmacists evaluated their communication skills as being good. Nevertheless, how to communicate the offering of this service was seen as a challenge, for instance recruiting participants and communicating in an understandable and professional way. Inclusion of the whole pharmacy staff as a team was experienced as an important success factor for implementation of a risk-assessment service. Analytical quality control was perceived as being a natural part of their job and a manageable task.

Conclusions: Offering a diabetes risk-assessment service is in line with the way a selected group of Norwegian community pharmacists perceived their professional role. However, they were uncomfortable recruiting participants, and expressed the wish for more support from the pharmacy chain. Our results add performance of analytical quality control as part of the ongoing development involving expansion of pharmacists' professional role. Future implementation studies may also benefit from giving both the pharmacy staff and customers sufficient time to familiarize themselves with the new service before measuring effects.

Keywords: Analytical quality control; Community pharmacy; Diabetes risk assessment; Focus groups; Healthcare services; Pharmacists' experiences.

Publication types

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

MeSH terms

Attitude of Health Personnel
Community Pharmacy Services*
Diabetes Mellitus* / drug therapy
Humans
Norway
Pharmacies*
Pharmacists
Professional Role
Quality Control