Impact of COVID-19 on frontline pharmacists’ roles and services in Canada: The INSPIRE Survey
This research sought to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Canadian pharmacists and pharmacy services and to identify frontline pharmacists’ roles and pharmacy services during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was a descriptive, exploratory, nonexperimental cross-sectional survey. Pharmacists were recruited through social media and provincial/territorial and national pharmacy regulatory and advocacy organizations. The survey was provided in English and French and respondents had to give consent before progressing to it. Pharmacists were eligible to take part if they provided direct patient care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The global COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected Canadian frontline pharmacists’ roles and services, and pharmacists were trailblazers, adapting their practices to meet the needs of society. There was a reported increase in the number of patients seeking pharmacists’ care as they avoided other avenues of the health care system out of fear of contracting the COVID-19 infection. Pharmacists were increasingly required to manage the emotions and expectations of patients and community members seeking reassurance to calm their fears and anxieties about the pandemic, as well as provide COVID-19 information and public health guidance. The authors conclude that pharmacists have an important role in public health, especially in disasters, and they and their pharmacy advocacy bodies need to seize the opportunity that COVID-19 has presented and actively advocate for greater pharmacy involvement in disaster and emergency management, including representation within local emergency management groups.