Pharmacist and Family Physician Collaboration to Optimize Community-Based Drug Therapy: Results of a 15-Year Research Program

Abstract

Project Objective:

This research program was initiated in 1992 in Ontario to improve drug therapy in the community by providing access to independent information about drugs to both primary care providers and patients. The first major initiative was the development and distribution of the Anti-infective Guidelines for Community-acquired Infections. The program has evolved and expanded nationally to provide evidence-based prescribing materials and interdisciplinary continuing professional development (CPD) on a number of common topics.

Target Groups:

All community-based primary health care professionals, including pharmacists, physicians, and nurse practitioners.

Activities:

A number of activities were undertaken and evaluated over the last 15 years, including academic detailing (5 studies), drug regimen review, clinical practice guideline (CPG) development and distribution and MAINPRO-C accredited CPD featuring a small group, case-based learning model with pharmacist-physician facilitator team delivery. The outcomes and lessons learned from unpublished research and evaluation activities will be presented.

Deliverables:

A positive impact has been documented on the prescribing behaviour of physicians in a number of therapeutic areas (e.g., significant decrease in the inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics), development of clinician- and patient-specific prescribing tools, establishment of rapport between groups of community-based health practitioners, establishment of the first database of pharmacists currently working on family health teams, and development of a provincial primary care prescribing network. This comprehensive research program continues to bring research to reality through clinician-controlled, independent publications and via an interprofessional learning model, based on joint pharmacist-physician team facilitation. This model has been successful in many communities and can clearly be expanded to further therapeutic areas and jurisdictions.