Exploring community pharmacists' roles as information providers to family caregivers of older adults

Abstract

The study objectives were to explore 1) community pharmacists' perceptions of their role as medication information providers to family caregivers of older adults and the nature of their interactions with caregivers, 2) barriers and facilitators to community pharmacists' interactions with caregivers, and 3) community pharmacists' information provision strategy when interacting with caregivers METHODS: A qualitative study using one-on-one semi-structured interviews was conducted with practicing community pharmacists identified through pharmacy practice-based research networks in two U.S. states: Indiana and Minnesota. The Theory of Motivated Information Management (TMIM) was utilized to explore the third objective-pharmacists' information provision strategy. Interviews were conducted between May and June 2022. Data were analyzed via an iterative content analysis. Codes were developed and categorized into broader themes RESULTS: Twenty-three interviews were completed and included in the analysis. Sixteen participants were from Minnesota and seven were from Indiana. There was a range of years of experience and community practice settings. Three major themes emerged for objective 1, including) caregiver-pharmacist interactions, pharmacists' awareness of caregiver roles, and pharmacists' role perceptions in relation to caregivers. Four themes emerged for barriers and facilitators to pharmacists' interactions with caregivers related to the pharmacy/healthcare system, pharmacist relationships, and patient/caregiver issues as well as confidence in addressing barriers. For objective 3, themes emerged related to each of the TMIM constructs. Pharmacists viewed communicating with caregivers about older adults' medications as important and could improve medication use. While pharmacists were highly confident in addressing caregivers' questions, they did have concerns about caregivers' abilities to use the information or pass it along appropriately CONCLUSION: Community pharmacists seem aware of family caregivers' involvement in older adults' care, including medication management. Pharmacists view their role as educators, however, they struggle to proactively engage with caregivers and assess medication information needs.

Keywords: Community pharmacist; Family caregivers; Older adults; Patient communication; Theory of motivated information management.