Value of pharmacy services to the healthcare system: an interdisciplinary assessment

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this project was to determine how pharmacists and physicians view the extending role of the hospital pharmacist in Tennessee, USA. METHODS: An 18-question survey was sent via e-mail to five selected hospitals in Tennessee. The survey was comprised of questions related to the interaction of the pharmacist with other healthcare professionals and their role in the healthcare team. KEY FINDINGS: This survey achieved a 40.1% response rate. Ninety-one per cent of physicians and pharmacists in the sample are receptive to an extended role of the pharmacist and agree that pharmacists provide a benefit to patients and to the healthcare system. A minority of respondents, including pharmacists, do not consider the pharmacist a member of the healthcare team and suggest that barriers in the transition away from the traditional pharmacy role are time, staffing and reimbursement/funding. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this survey reveal that the majority of physicians and pharmacists in non-academic settings embrace an extended role of the pharmacist as part of the healthcare team and have an overall good perception of contemporary pharmacy practice. Clinical pharmacies are in place worldwide, making this topic applicable in many settings.