Factors necessary for a community pharmacist to achieve interprofessional collaboration in home-based care in Japan.

AIM

Interprofessional collaboration between medical professionals is an essential aspect of caring for Japan's super-aging population, but studies on the subject have been geographically limited in scope. Therefore, we aimed to determine the factors necessary for pharmacists to achieve interprofessional collaboration in home-based care in Japan.

METHODS

Our online questionnaire survey was conducted from February 1, 2023 to February 15, 2023. The Japan Pharmaceutical Association introduced this survey to their membership, and survey letters were sent to hospitals and community pharmacies that were not included in this association.

RESULTS

The study involved 1156 and 36 participants working in a community pharmacy and a hospital, respectively. These participants were divided into the collaboration group and the non-collaboration group. Enough time for visiting patients and for preparing the first visiting plan was important to achieve interprofessional collaboration in home-based care for a hospital pharmacist. More than 5 years of experience working in home-based care and participation in pre-visit conferences, discharge conferences, meetings with persons in charge of services were independent factors in collaborating with other medical staff for a community pharmacist.

CONCLUSION

Hospital pharmacists with enough time to prepare and visit for home-based care and community pharmacists working in home-based care for more than 5 years and who share information on home-based care with medical staff achieved interprofessional collaboration in home-based care. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 1008-1014.