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International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy

, Volume 39, Issue 3, pp 495–506 | Cite as

Interprofessional communication between community pharmacists and general practitioners: a qualitative study

  • Marina Weissenborn
  • Walter E. Haefeli
  • Frank Peters-Klimm
  • Hanna M. SeidlingEmail author
Research Article
First Online:

Abstract

Background While collaboration between community pharmacists (CPs) and general practitioners (GPs) is essential to provide comprehensive patient care, their communication often is scarce and hampered by multiple barriers. Objective We aimed to assess both professions’ perceptions of interprofessional communication with regard to content and methods of communication as a basis to subsequently develop best-practice recommendations for information exchange. Setting Ambulatory care setting in Germany. Method CPs and GPs shared their experience in focus groups and in-depth interviews which were conducted using a semi-structured interview guideline. Transcribed recordings were assessed using qualitative content analysis according to Mayring. Main outcome measure Specification of existing barriers, CPs’/GPs’ general perceptions of interprofessional communication and similarities and differences regarding prioritization of specific information items and how to best communicate with each other. Results Four focus groups and fourteen interviews were conducted. Seven internal (e.g. professions were not personally known to one another) and nine external barriers (e.g. mutual accessibility) were identified. Ten organizational, eight medication-related, and four patient-related information items were identified requiring interprofessional communication. Their relevance varied between the professions, e.g. CPs rated organizational issues higher than GPs. Both professions indicated communication via phone to be the most frequently used method of communication. Conclusion CPs and GPs opinions often differ. However, communication between CPs and GPs is perceived as crucial suggesting that a future concept has to offer standardized recommendations, while leaving CPs and GPs room to adjust it to their individual needs.

Keywords

Community pharmacist General practitioner Germany Focus groups Interprofessional communication Qualitative research 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

We thank all GPs and CPs for participation in our study, Dr. Cornelia Mahler and Dr. Alexander Send for English language editing and Lisa Kohl, Lisa Veitinger, and Daniela Tschada for compiling the initial transcript of the FG and the IDI.

Funding

The Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology received financial funding from “Förderinitiative Pharmazeutische Betreuung e.V. (Berlin, Germany)”. The funding had no influence on the conduct of the study, the analysis and interpretation of the data and the writing of the manuscript.

Conflicts of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing 2017

Authors and Affiliations

  • Marina Weissenborn
    • 1
  • Walter E. Haefeli
    • 1
  • Frank Peters-Klimm
    • 2
  • Hanna M. Seidling
    • 1
    Email author
  1. 1.Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Pharmacoepidemiology, Cooperation Unit Clinical PharmacyUniversity of HeidelbergHeidelbergGermany
  2. 2.Department of General Practice and Health Services ResearchHeidelberg University HospitalHeidelbergGermany

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