외래환자의 약물요법 관련 전문직간 협업에 대한 의사와 약사의 인식

Perception of Medical Doctors and Pharmacists about Interprofessional Collaboration in Outpatient Pharmacotherapy

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) in a diverse and complex healthcare environment is essential for patientcentered care. We investigated the recognition and status of medical doctors (MD) and pharmacists in Korea on IPC in outpatient pharmacotherapy. A cross-sectional survey with a 21-item questionnaire was conducted on pharmacists and MDs via both online and offline platforms from May 22 to June 5, 2019. The responses about recognition and status were measured using a four-point Likert scale. The questionnaire consisted of baseline characteristics (five items), experiences of IPC (five items), perceptions of IPC (seven items), and plan for the promotion of IPC (four items). The difference in IPC perceptions between pharmacists and MDs was analyzed using the t-test at the statistical significance level of 0.05. A total of 224 (162 pharmacists and 62 MDs) participated in the survey. The satisfaction level on mutual collaboration based on past experiences was around 2.7 points in both groups. Participants were aware of the need for IPC; however, the awareness of pharmacists (3.73) was significantly higher than that of MDs (3.06). The confidence of the counterpart as a collaboration partner was less in MDs than in pharmacists (3.14 and 2.76, respectively, p<0.05). The current collaboration between the pharmacists and MDs was low (2.09 and 2.03, respectively, p>0.05). Respondents suggested several ways to promote IPC, such as specific and practical guidelines and increased opportunities for interaction. Our study was the first study in Korea to investigate the perceptions of two professions (MDs and pharmacists) on IPC. We hope that inter-professional models and strategies that fit our healthcare system will begin to be discussed.