Chronicles of a primary care practice pharmacist

onicles of a primary care practice pharmacist Original Research (850) Total Article Views Authors: Freeman CR, Cottrell WN, Kyle G, Williams ID, Nissen LM Published Date November 2012 Volume 2012:1 Pages 13 - 18 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/IPRP.S38102 Received: 13 September 2012 Accepted: 15 October 2012 Published: 19 November 2012 Christopher R Freeman,1 W Neil Cottrell,1 Greg Kyle,2 Ian D Williams,3 Lisa M Nissen1 1School of Pharmacy, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; 2Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia; 3Camp Hill Healthcare, Camp Hill, Brisbane, Australia Background: In 2009, a pharmacist commenced working in a nondispensing role at a primary care medical center located in a metropolitan suburb of Brisbane, Australia. Research into the role and function of a practice pharmacist in this setting is still in its infancy. Methods: Ethnographic methods were used over a 3-month period to record activities undertaken by the practice pharmacist on a daily basis. Results: During the 3-month period, 296 hours of activity were documented. Activities the practice pharmacist performed most frequently included medication review, “pharmaceutical opinion,” student supervision, drug information, and administrative tasks. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the broad range of activities which were conducted by a practice pharmacist in the primary care setting as part of a multidisciplinary team.