Pharmacist contributions to patient care and medical conditions present among recipients of Ontario primary care team pharmacist-led medication reviews: a qualitative analysis

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Family Health Teams (FHTs) in Ontario, Canada are interdisciplinary primary healthcare practices where pharmacists engage in patient care including medication and chronic disease management. Methods Descriptive content analysis was used to examine qualitative responses of FHT pharmacists on their most significant contribution to a patient’s medication management. Key findings Common roles described included medication management (70.2%), counselling and education (15.5%), monitoring and optimization (11.3%) and administration (3.1%). Chronic conditions addressed were diabetes (39.0%), cardiovascular (22.0%), pain (17.0%) and mental health (11.0%). Conclusions While FHT pharmacists primarily view themselves as medication management experts, larger roles in counselling, education and chronic disease management are key contributions.