Project outline
A key component of primary health care policy in Aotearoa New Zealand has been to further develop professional roles to make the best use of all practitioners’ skills, improve access to services, and assist in managing the increasing pressure on the primary health care workforce. This role development includes making optimal use of pharmacists’ skills.
This project builds on an existing project exploring what works for whom, and in what contexts, to successfully extend the role of community pharmacists. It explores how the roles of pharmacists working in and with primary health care practices are developing in Aotearoa New Zealand, how their services are being delivered, and how service users, pharmacists and other health care practitioners are responding to these roles. This project has several steps, including interviews, surveys, and evaluation of costs/ benefits.
Advisory Groups: We are supported throughout this project by two advisory groups, who lend health system, health workforce policy and practice, and equity perspectives to this work. Advisory group members include: Joanna Hikaka, Ngā Kaitiaki o Te Puna Rongoā o Aotearoa – The Māori Pharmacists’ Association; Graeme Norton, Consumer Advocate/Representative; Marilyn Tucker, Clinical Advisory Pharmacist, Compass Health.
For further information, contact:
Publications
Fa’asalele Tanuvasa, A., Morris, C., Cumming, J., McDonald, J., Russell, L., Smiler, K., Parore, N., Dunn, P., & Officer, T. (2019). How will changes in community pharmacy services in New Zealand benefit service users? (Oral presentation within the symposium ‘How can pharmacy services in New Zealand contribute to achieving health equity?’ at the 11th Health Services and Policy Research Conference, Auckland, 4-6 December).
Morris, C., McDonald, J., Dunn, P., Fa’asalele Tanuvasa, A., Smiler, K., Russell, L., & Cumming, J. (2019). Pharmacy in the community: Factors influencing New Zealand pharmacists extending their patient-facing roles. Oral presentation at the Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association Annual Conference, Melbourne, 1-4 December
Morris, C., McDonald, J., & Officer, T. (2019). Primary health care pharmacy: Evolving roles in New Zealand (invited presentation to Pharmaceutical Society of New Zealand ‘Towards Integrated Health’ conference, Auckland, 10-11 August).
Morris, C. (2018). Pharmacy in the community: Solutions for future roles. Oral presentation at Forward Pharmacy Symposium, Wellington, 9 March.
Morris, C., Pledger, M., McDonald, J., Faasalele Tanuvasa, A., Smiler, K., & Cumming, J. (2018). Pharmacy in the community – how are New Zealand pharmacists extending their patient-facing roles? Oral presentation at the Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association Annual Conference, Adelaide, 2-5 December.
Morris, C., Pledger, M., McDonald, J., Dunn, P., Tanuvasa, A. F., Smiler, K., & Cumming, J. (2019). Pharmacy in the community–how are New Zealand pharmacists extending their patient-facing roles? Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 15(5), e7.
Morris, C., McDonald, J., Dunn, P., Fa’asalele Tanuvasa, A., McCormack, J., Smiler, K., Russell, L., & Cumming, J. (2017). Pharmacy in the community: the potential of role extension. Oral presentation at Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 5-8 December.
Cumming, J., Morris, C., McDonald, J., Fa’asalele Tanuvasa, A., Russell, L., Smiler, K., Kennedy, J., & McKinlay, E. (2017). Exploring the development and impact of changes in community pharmacy services in New Zealand: Symposium presentation, Health Services & Policy Research Conference, Surfers Paradise, Australia, 1-3 November.
Morris, C., Cumming, J., & McDonald, J. (2017). Pharmacy in the community: Solutions for future roles. Oral presentation at Forward Pharmacy symposium, Wellington, 12 April.
The team
Caroline Morris leads this project. She is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Primary Health Care & General Practice, University of Otago, Wellington and a practising pharmacist.
Janet McDonald is the project manager. She is a health services researcher based at Victoria University of Wellington.
Tara Officer is a post-doctoral fellow. She is a registered pharmacist with experience using the realist methodology to evaluate aspects of health workforce development. She can also be contacted via LinkedIn.
Jackie Cumming is an advisor to the research team. She is a past Director of the Health Services Research Centre.
Eileen McKinlay is an Associate Professor at the Department of Primary Health Care & General Practice, University of Otago, Wellington and a registered nurse.
Jonathan Kennedy is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Primary Health Care & General Practice, University of Otago, Wellington, and a general practitioner in Newtown, Wellington.
Megan Pledger is a biostatistician at the Health Services Research Centre. She will advise about developing a survey to be undertaken for this project and analyse the results.
Lynne Russell (Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Kahungunu, Rangitāne, Ngāti Porou, Kāti Māmoe, Te Wainui a Rua, Ngāti Raukawa) is a senior Māori health researcher in the Health Services Research Centre/Te Hikuwai Rangahau Hauora, within the Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Health (Te Wāhanga Tātai Hauora, Te Herenga Waka). Her primary role within this team alongside Nora Parore (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi), is to work with its members to ensure tikanga, Māori ethical processes and protocols are respected, so that the research produces findings that can support Aotearoa New Zealand to improve primary health care services and reduce health inequities for Māori.
Ausaga Fa’asalele Tanuvasa is a Senior Research Fellow. Her primary role is to lead Pacific research and evaluation at the Health Services Research Centre at Victoria University of Wellington. Her role in this pharmacy project is to ensure Pacific protocols and processes capture Pacific peoples’ worldviews from a realist approach.
Previous staff
Karen McBride-Henry is an Associate Professor in the School of Nursing, Midwifery & Health Practice, Victoria University of Wellington. She is also a registered nurse.
