Sheridan Janie, Kelly Fiona, Basheer Mariam, Jan Reem, Lee Alice
The School of Pharmacy formerly of The School of Pharmacy, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Int J Pharm Pract. 2011 Aug;19(4):228-35. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-7174.2011.00096.x. Epub 2011 Mar 15.
To begin to explore the role of PAs more fully in a New Zealand context, through semi-structured interviews with PAs and pharmacists.
Semi-structured, qualitative interviews with a convenience sample of pairs of PAs and pharmacists working in a pharmacy together.
Pharmacists and PAs both described important roles for PAs. The PAs tended to see themselves as the first point of contact for customers, and that they fulfilled an important healthcare role for the public. Pharmacists agreed that they were the first point of contact yet viewed this more as a gatekeeper role to the pharmacist. Views were also expressed about the difference between PAs and other retail employees. Pharmacists and PAs noted that the 'public' expected PAs to have a basic knowledge of non-prescription medicines and their uses. PAs described difficulties when requesting personal information from customers or asking essential questions where the customer had made a specific product request. Being able to know when to refer to the pharmacist was seen as a key role.
Despite being able to describe a number of roles for PAs, these were highly variable. The lack of mandatory training and a clearly articulated role for PAs in New Zealand meant that in some cases PAs might be seen as little more than general retail assistants--a view not in line with their actual roles and practices. Attention to these issues may well help to resolve this, as will public education about the PA's role.
通过对医师助手（PA）和药剂师进行半结构化访谈，更全面地探究在新西兰背景下PA的作用。
对在药房共同工作的PA和药剂师组成的便利样本进行半结构化定性访谈。
药剂师和PA都描述了PA的重要作用。PA倾向于将自己视为客户的第一接触点，并且他们为公众履行着重要的医疗保健职责。药剂师认同PA是第一接触点，但更多地将此视为通向药剂师的把关角色。对于PA与其他零售员工之间的差异也有相关看法。药剂师和PA指出，“公众”期望PA具备非处方药及其用途的基本知识。PA描述了在向客户索要个人信息或在客户提出特定产品需求时询问关键问题时遇到的困难。知道何时向药剂师请教被视为一项关键职责。
尽管能够描述PA的一些职责，但这些职责差异很大。在新西兰，PA缺乏强制性培训且职责未得到明确阐述，这意味着在某些情况下，PA可能被视为不过是普通零售助理——这一观点与他们的实际职责和做法不符。关注这些问题可能有助于解决此问题，对PA职责的公众教育也会有帮助。
