RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Prescribing by pharmacists is an increasingly common practice worldwide. In Brazil regulation of this practice began in 2013, and the practice remains unexplored as a research topic. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to explore and gain insights into pharmacist prescribing practices in Brazil and assessing pharmacist's perceptions of their training and preparedness to prescribe medications. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between October 2022 and March 2023 via convenience sampling. Data were collected using an online questionnaire covering sociodemographic issues, academic training, prescribing practices, and perceptions regarding the provision of pharmacist prescribing in ambulatory care. Exploratory descriptive analysis and Poisson regression were performed to estimate the associations between pharmacist characteristics and their practices in prescribing medicines. RESULTS: Among the 305 valid responses, 58.7% of the outpatient pharmacists stated that they had not prescribed any medication in the previous three years. Over-the-counter medication prescriptions were most common (42.0%). Only 4.6% of respondents had prescribed prescription-only medicines provided through collaborative agreement, with 2.6% reporting that they had adjusted doses, and 2.3% played a role in prescription renewal. Pharmacists living in Northeast regions tended to be more active prescribers (PR = 1.42; 95%CI 1.03-2.18), whereas those in primary healthcare (PR = 0.61; 95%CI 0.39-0.96) and self-declared Black pharmacists (PR = 0.30; 95%CI 0.10-0.97) prescribed less. Respondents strongly believed in the pharmacist's role as a prescriber, although they remained ambivalent regarding their responsibility for patient outcomes. Progress barriers include infrastructure gaps and strained relationships with physicians. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that pharmacists in Brazil predominantly prescribe over-the-counter medications, and variations in setting, region, and race can influence prescribing by pharmacist in ambulatory care.
RESUMO
O estudo objetivou analisar a percepção do farmacêutico sobre a sua atuação clínica em Centros de Atenção Psicossocial Infantojuvenil (CAPSi). Foi realizado estudo qualitativo, por meio de entrevistas on-line individuais e semiestruturadas com seis farmacêuticas de CAPSi. As entrevistas foram gravadas, transcritas, analisadas e categorizadas segundo o método de análise de conteúdo. As categorias temáticas foram "Equipe multidisciplinar e as diferentes formas de produção de cuidado", "Inserção do farmacêutico no serviço", "Aspectos que se relacionam ao uso de psicofármacos" e "Nuances do trabalho farmacêutico em rede na infância e adolescência". Os resultados mostram uma gradual mudança de paradigma da atuação do farmacêutico em direção ao cuidado da pessoa em sofrimento mental, culminando em ampla atuação na equipe multidisciplinar. Apesar disso, foi apontada a necessidade de documentos que guiem a atuação clínica deste profissional com o público infantojuvenil.(AU)
This study analyzes pharmacists' perceptions of clinical pharmacy in child and adolescent psychosocial care centers (CAPSi). We conducted a qualitative study with six pharmacists working in CAPSis using online semi-structured interviews. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, analyzed, and categorized using content analysis. The thematic categories were: "Multidisciplinary team and different forms of care delivery"; "The integration of pharmacists into services"; "Aspects linked to the use of psychotropic drugs"; and "The nuances of the network-based approach to pharmaceutical care for children and adolescents". The findings show a gradual shift in the paradigm of clinical pharmacy towards care for people with mental suffering, culminating in pharmacists playing a broad role within a multidisciplinary team. However, the results also highlight the need for documents that provide guidance on pharmaceutical care for children and adolescents.(AU)
El objetivo del estudio fue analizar la percepción del farmacéutico sobre su actuación clínica en Centros de Atención Psicosocial Infantojuvenil (CAPSi). Se realizó un estudio cualitativo, por medio de entrevistas online individuales y semiestructuradas con seis farmacéuticas de CAPSi. Las entrevistas se grabaron, transcribieron, analizaron y categorizaron según el método de análisis de contenido. Las categorías temáticas fueron: Equipo multidisciplinario y las diferentes formas de producción de cuidado"; "La inserción del farmacéutico en el servicio"; "Aspectos relacionados con el uso de psicofármacos"; y "Los matices del trabajo farmacéutico en red en la infancia y adolescencia". Los resultados muestran un cambio gradual de paradigma de la actuación del farmacéutico en dirección hacia el cuidado de la persona en sufrimiento mental, culminando en una amplia actuación en el equipo multidisciplinario. A pesar de ello, se señaló la necesidad de documentos que guíen la actuación clínica de este profesional con el público infantojuvenil.(AU)
