Perceptions of healthcare professionals and patients on the role of the pharmacist in TB management in Pakistan: A qualitative study

Background: Globally, tuberculosis (TB) is the second major cause of death from infectious diseases, particularly in developing countries. A multidisciplinary approach to the management of TB may help to curb the disease burden. Objective: The objective of this study was to outline the perceptions of healthcare professionals and patients regarding the potential role of pharmacists in TB management in Pakistan. Method: This was a large-scale qualitative study conducted at the Chest Disease Unit (CDU) of the Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH), Punjab, Pakistan. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with physicians, pharmacists, and patients recruited using a mix of convenient and snowball sampling. The sample size was decided through standard saturation point criteria. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data were analyzed to draw conclusions using a thematic analysis approach. Results: Analysis of the data yielded 19 categories and seven themes. Physicians considered pharmacists qualified healthcare professionals, whereas patients considered them merely dispensers. Inventory management and dispensing of medicines were considered as major responsibilities of pharmacists. Physicians were extremely overburdened and wanted to delegate certain duties to pharmacists, subject to their prior extensive trainings. However, most of the physicians were unaware of the legal scope of pharmacy practice in Pakistan. With regard to the potential duties of pharmacists, physicians, pharmacists, and patients (patients—upon explaining the potential roles during the interview) endorsed monitoring, counseling, medicine brand selection, dose adjustment, inventory management, dispensing, and polypharmacy assessment as their potential roles. In view of all stakeholders, the rationale for integrating pharmacists in TB management included overburdened physicians, sub-standard patient care, medication safety issues, and patient dissatisfaction. The healthcare professionals highlighted that the major barriers to integrating pharmacists within the TB management system were limited interest of regulatory authorities and policy makers, followed by inadequate training and experience-driven questionable competency of pharmacists. Conclusion: The study participants acknowledged the potential role of pharmacists in TB management. However, it was emphasized that healthcare policy makers should devise strategies to overcome the underlying barriers before assigning medicine-related clinical roles to pharmacists.