Perceptions, attitudes and knowledge of managers in clinical roles towards the addition of clinical pharmacists as part of the healthcare team

Abstract

Perceptions, attitudes and knowledge of managers in clinical roles towards the addition of clinical pharmacists as part of the healthcare team. Abstract: Clinical pharmacists, as members of multidisciplinary teams, improve patient outcomes. In South Africa clinical pharmacists are underutilised in the private hospital setting. For the role of the clinical pharmacist to evolve, the smooth integration of the clinical pharmacist into the multidisciplinary team is necessary. Understanding the perceptions, attitudes, and knowledge of clinical management, namely clinical, nursing and pharmacy managers is important in ensuring the growth of this specialisation and to provide insight into possible reasons as to why the uptake of clinical pharmacists has been delayed over the years. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of clinical, nursing and pharmacy managers in a hospital setting in South Africa toward the need for a clinical pharmacist as part of the patient care team. The study adopted a quantitative cross-sectional design, targeting clinical, nursing, and pharmacy managers within a specific private hospital group in South Africa using a survey, to allow participants to freely provide input while reflecting on the current roles and responsibilities assigned to clinical pharmacists within a South African context. Managers across all job roles and backgrounds value clinical pharmacists highly and found value in having a clinical pharmacist as part of the healthcare team. The knowledge among the 3 different manager sets is generally consistent, though sector exposure may influence it slightly. There is broad agreement on the beneficial impact of clinical pharmacists. Cost constraints are a factor of concern to members of the management team who are hindering uptake of clinical pharmacists within the South African setting. With the recent recognition of clinical pharmacy as a speciality within the field of pharmacy by the SAPC it is hopeful that the positive uptake continues. Further studies conducted in both public and private healthcare settings, with larger populations, may provide further insight into the knowledge, perceptions and attitudes of clinical management towards the need for clinical pharmacists as part of the patient care team