Reconfiguring clinical pharmacists’ roles under China’s DRG payment system: perspectives from clinical pharmacists and physicians in multidisciplinary teams

Purpose With the implementation of Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) payment reform in China, clinical pharmacists (CPs) are expected to play expanded roles in the multidisciplinary team (MDT). This study explored the perceptions and experiences of CPs and physicians regarding CPs’ roles and contributions in MDT. The findings provide evidence to support MDT collaboration and the further development of pharmaceutical care. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted from October 2023 to June 2024. Participants were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling from two tertiary Grade A hospitals in Nanjing, China. The study included 11 CPs and 10 physicians. The interview data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step method, and the themes were extracted. Results Four themes were identified: Perceived Roles, Recognized Value and Contribution, Collaborative Experience and Existing Barriers, Future Expectations and Suggestions. CPs played multiple roles and made diverse contributions within MDT, but physicians mainly recognized their clinical support and DRG-related administrative functions, with less awareness of their roles in improving healthcare quality and managing healthcare costs. Greater involvement of CPs in clinical practice is still needed. Conclusion The value of CPs in promoting rational medication use and improving healthcare quality was widely recognized. However, their contribution to cost control under the DRG remained limited by differences in role perceptions, unclear role definitions, and insufficient interprofessional collaboration. The future should focus on implementing the Pharmacists Law and advancing pharmacy education reform. These systemic measures could strengthen the role of CPs within MDT.