The value of pharmacists in general practice: perspectives of general practitioners—an exploratory interview study

Background NHS England has recently invested on a large scale in the development of the role of pharmacists in general practice. Despite this initial funding, the perpetuation of pharmacists’ roles ultimately relies on the funding and co-operation of GPs. Objective This study aimed to explore the perspectives of GPs with experience of fully funding a pharmacist in general practice, focussing on the value that GPs place on the role of the pharmacist. Setting General practice in the Midlands and East area of England. Method In-depth, face to face, semi-structured qualitative interviews were carried out with seven purposively sampled GPs. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Main outcome measure Main outcomes were defined themes in the data. Results GPs valued the medication expertise of the pharmacist, which enabled the pharmacists to unburden the GPs of workload. GPs also valued the capability of pharmacists to adapt their role to meet the changing needs of their individual practice. GPs supported the role of pharmacists in general practice but identified funding as a possible barrier to wider uptake of the role. Conclusion This study provides an initial insight into what GPs value in the role of pharmacists in general practice. It highlights the value of the medication-related expertise which pharmacists bring to the team. Heterogeneity in the role is necessary to meet the needs of individual practices. Sustained funding was identified as a possible barrier to wider implementation of the role.