Context analysis as a foundational step to inform the design and implementation of an interprofessional primary care model for new long-term medication users - the myCare Start Implementation Science Project

Background Implementation science recognises that health innovations must be adapted to local contexts. Context analysis is a critical foundational phase for tailoring interventions and implementation strategies, yet remains underutilised in pharmaceutical sciences, limiting successful translation and scale-up of proven services in interprofessional settings. Aim This paper provides a methodological roadmap highlighting the foundational role of context analysis in guiding real-world adaptation of a known service – the New Medicine Service – to form the myCare Start service in Switzerland. Methods Guided by the Basel Approach for coNtextual ANAlysis (BANANA), a mixed-methods context analysis was enacted including individual interviews and online quantitative surveys to understand the current patient journey, interprofessional practice patterns, and readiness of pharmacists and physicians to deliver enhanced medication adherence services. Results Between September 2023 and February 2024, individual interviews were conducted with 16 patients, 22 physicians, 11 pharmacists and 11 pharmacy technicians from French and German speaking regions of Switzerland. In addition, online surveys were completed by 48 pharmacists and 49 pharmacy technicians. Outputs includes a context report presenting the current state of long-term medication initiation in Swiss community pharmacies and other ambulatory care settings, a comprehensive list of multi-level contextual factors (barriers/facilitators) affecting implementation of myCare Start and stakeholder preferences relating to intervention design and delivery which will inform the adaptation of myCare Start and the selection of multilevel implementation strategies to facilitate implementation in Switzerland. Discussion and Conclusion This study offers a replicable methodology prioritising contextual understanding as a basis for optimising care processes and real world translation. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.