Exploring how Self-Efficacy is Shaping Prescribing Activity of Pharmacists in Alberta

Introduction

Pharmacists have training and expertise in medication therapy as well as patient care capabilities to assess and respond to patients’ health care and drug-related needs. Pharmacists are important members of the health care team. Pharmacists are well accepted by general people as healthcare personnel who provide knowledge about medication to patient (Perepelkin, 2011) but they also acquire knowledge and training to asses and respond to patients’ healthcare and drug related need. So prescribing is a logical extended role of pharmacist. It is assumed that medicine and dentistry professions dominate the prescribing activity but some other health care professionals such as optometrists, podiatrists, midwives, and nurse practitioners have been granted prescribing rights (Sketris, 2009). It is suitable for pharmacist to expand their professional role by adopting prescribing because they have skill and knowledge to initiate, monitor and adjust drug therapy and develop patient-centered care. As a result to an expanded scope of pharmacy practice, pharmacists in several Canadian, American, and British jurisdictions can prescribe medications (Tonna, Stewart & McCaig, 2008).

Internationally there are different models of pharmacists prescribing. In the United Kingdom (UK), dependent prescribing (i.e. prescribing authorities through different protocols, formularies) by pharmacist was approved in 2003 and in 2006 Pharmacist got obtained independent prescribing right (i. e. prescribing personnel is solely responsible for the patient assessment, diagnosis and clinical managements) (Tonna, Stewart & McCaig, 2008). In contrast, all prescribing in Canada is independent and varies by provinces. Canadian pharmacist association reported i...

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...can provide their comments regarding the findings and interpretation (Erlandson, Harris, Skipper, & Allen, 1993; Merriam, 1988; Lincoln & Guba, 1985). We will establish prolonged engagement with the field to build relationship and trust with the participants, to learn the culture and to verify any erroneous information (Erlandson et al., 1993; Lincoln & Guba, 1985). The interpretations will also be peer reviewed by two co-investigators to establish the credibility of the findings (Merriam, 1988; Lincoln & Guba, 1985). To ensure transferability we will use thick rich description of the data and field notes (Erlandson et al., 1993; Merriam, 1988; Lincoln & Guba, 1985). We will also use maximum variation during participant selection. We will clarify our bias so that readers can understand our position and assumptions that may affect the investigation (Merriam, 1988).