(289) Highlighting The Role Of The Pharmacist In The Management Of Medication Shortages – An Exploratory Mapping Exercise To The Core Competency Framework For Pharmacists

Background: Medication shortages pose a significant global public health risk, affecting all categories of therapeutic drugs, potentially resulting in medication errors and sub-optimal treatment. As the most accessible healthcare professional, and key contact between all stakeholders, pharmacists have a central role in this context.

Objectives: The objective of this study is to identify the roles of pharmacists in medication shortages and map these roles to the Core Competency Framework (CCF) for Pharmacists (Ireland).

Methods: This study is an exploratory mapping exercise. We identified key roles of the pharmacist within medication shortages using a brief review of international published literature, relevant reports, and expert stakeholder opinion. The tasks pharmacists undertake related to medication shortages were extracted and categorized using content analysis. QSR NVivo Version R1® was used to assist with the analysis. One reviewer (EB) conducted the initial analysis, which was then independently checked by MS. If any disagreements arose at this stage, a discussion was conducted with the project team. The roles identified in the first stage of the analysis process were mapped to one of the five domains of the CCF for Pharmacists (Ireland). A domain is a broad area of responsibility or professional endeavour. The mapping was then cross-checked by a second reviewer (KFG).

Results: The roles of the pharmacist in the management of medication shortages, mapped to all five domains of the CCF. Key roles identified for the pharmacist in each domain are: 1. Personal: communication with internal procurement staff, patients, prescribers, and wholesalers/suppliers; 2. Professional: advising on suitable therapeutic or formulation alternatives, and drug use policy creation 3. Organisation and management skills: promoting medication safety, operational optimization; 4. Pharmacy care: supply chain management, providing education to stakeholders 5. Public health: monitoring of current medication shortages through trusted channels, defining medication demand by analysing previous dispensing trends. It was identified that these roles and responsibilities of the pharmacist are similar across the world. However local, regional, and national practices may vary, which may modify pharmacist roles across jurisdictions.

Conclusions: The role of the pharmacist is dynamic, extensive, and crucial in the timely and appropriate management of medication shortages. This mapping exercise allows for the synthesis and visualization of the extensive role of the pharmacist in the ever-challenging context of shortages. This study highlights key roles of the pharmacist in this sphere which may be translated into effective interventions for future medication shortage management.