Percepção dos profissionais de saúde de um Hospital Universitário sobre serviços clínicos farmacêuticos.

Abstract

With the growing recognition of pharmacists as essential members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team, clinical pharmacy services (CPS) have emerged as a critical area in healthcare delivery, aiming to improve patients' quality of life while enhancing professional satisfaction and engagement. The main objective of this study was to investigate the perception of pharmacists and other healthcare professionals regarding CPS in a University Hospital. This was a cross-sectional, descriptive, and exploratory study with both qualitative and quantitative approaches, conducted between June 2023 and May 2024. A total of 88 healthcare professionals participated, including 31 pharmacists and 57 others from fields such as medicine, nursing, and physiotherapy. The majority of pharmacists were female (64.5%) and aged 31-40 years (64.5%). Most held a pharmacy degree (80.7%) and were specialists (77.4%). Regarding years since graduation, the majority had 11-20 years of experience (58.2%) and worked in the Dispensing Unit (53.1%). They had been with the institution for 1-5 years (64.5%), and while 45.1% were pharmacy specialists, the majority had no experience in clinical pharmacy services (54.84%). Among other professionals, the majority were female (80.7%), aged 40-49 years (47.1%), with the highest participation from nursing technicians (43.8%), followed by medical professionals (24.6%), with professional specialization being most prevalent (49.1%), and only 10.6% holding a doctorate. The majority had 11-20 years of experience (50.9%) and worked in the ICU (54.3%), with 1-5 years of experience in the institution (54.3%). While some professionals disagreed that pharmacists addressed medication-related problems, the majority fully agreed that pharmacists participated in patient care processes, multidisciplinary visits, and case discussions (61.4%). This study revealed a positive perception of clinical pharmacy services; participants recognized the importance of pharmacists' role within the multidisciplinary team and reported seeking assistance from pharmacists whenever necessary for medication therapy clarification. However, there are still barriers to overcome, such as pharmacist integration, training, and experience in providing these services, as the majority of healthcare professionals had less than five years of professional experience in the hospital and limited experience in CPS.