Exploring collaborations between CPs-GPs
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A qualitative exploration of the development and effect of collaboration between community pharmacists (CPs) and general practitioners (GPs).
IRAS ID
265760
Contact name
Philip J. Rogers
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bath
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
3420, Ethical Implications of Research Activity (EIRA): EIRA1 form required for sponsorship request
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 9 months, 1 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
The role of pharmacists is continuously expanding, with pharmacists increasingly being incorporated in general practices. Pharmacists and general practitioners’ (GP) professional, regulatory and government bodies encourage this movement towards better-integrated primary care services. However, this could mean relocation of pharmacists from existing sectors (e.g. community and hospital pharmacy), which could result in future workforce issues in these sectors. More evidence is needed to inform the optimal involvement of pharmacists working with GPs. This study is part of a wider research project that is being conducted to understand how community pharmacists (CPs) and GPs currently work together.\n\nThe aim of this study is to understand how primary care services are affected by collaborative working models that involve CPs and GPs in England. As part of this, the following research questions will be explored:\n- What are the individual collaborative models’ characteristics (including Analyse purpose, drivers, enablers and barriers), ways of operating and means of evaluation?\n- How are CPs, GPs, patients and other stakeholders involved affected by the collaboration? \n- What are the patterns across individual cases that can contribute to recommendations for effective CP-GP collaborations?\n\nIn order to achieve this, case studies of collaborative working models that involve CPs and GPs will be conducted. This will involve:\n1. shadowing healthcare professionals (i.e. CPs and GPs) when they are providing services that are part of the collaboration, and\n2. conducting interviews with the stakeholders involved (i.e. CPs, GPs, patients, general practice and community pharmacy staff), which will contribute to gaining a better and deeper understanding of their experiences and satisfaction with the collaboration.\n\nThis evidence will help CPs and GPs find ways to work more closely together and thus improve the way primary care services are delivered to patients by utilising the existing position of CPs and GPs.Summary of Research
Introduction Over the last decade, several policies within the National Health Service (NHS) have called for increased integration of community pharmacists within the primary care team. Whilst several theoretical collaborative models exist, there is limited evidence of collaborative working models between general practitioners (GPs) and community pharmacists in practice. This research aimed to explore the development of existing GP-community pharmacist collaborative models in England, how they operate and affect the provision of healthcare services and those involved with these (e.g. GPs, pharmacists, patients). Adopting Operations and Supply Chain Management (OSCM) perspectives to explore this topic contributed to gaining a better understanding of the collaborative models’ characteristics.REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
19/NS/0184
Date of REC Opinion
2 Dec 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion