Nurses perception of pharmaceutical care practice: A qualitative approach

Purpose: To evaluate the perception of nurses regarding pharmaceutical care services in the healthcare system of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Province of Pakistan.Methods: This qualitative study was implemented by conducting semi-structured interviews. For data collection, interviews (face-to-face) were conducted after developing an interview guide. The interviewees were 18 nurses and were interviewed at their nursing stations in hospitals.  Interviews were continued until the data reached a saturation point. The respondents signed a written consent form before the start of the interview.Results: From the thematic content analysis, five major themes were extracted as stated here: (a) incognizance of pharmaceutical care; (b) collaboration of nurses and pharmacists; (c) improper distribution system; (d) lack of provision of patient counseling; and (e) pharmacist’s role in reducing prescribing errors.Conclusion: Based to the findings, Pakistani nurses have poor knowledge of pharmaceutical care, thus highlighting the need for organizing pharmaceutical care awareness programs for nurses. On the other hand, nurses have a positive perception of pharmacists’ roles in the healthcare system and want to work with them. Keywords: Perception, Pharmaceutical care, Qualitative study, Nurse, Patient care