Physicians’ perspectives, needs, and expectations of pharmacy preoperative evaluation clinic: a qualitative study in China

Abstract

Abstract Background Medication therapy management services during the perioperative period play a critical role in the decision-making process prior to surgery. The aim of this study is to explore the issues associated with preoperative management in surgical departments and to investigate physicians' perspectives, needs, and expectations regarding the establishment of pharmacy preoperative evaluation clinic. Methods A thematic qualitative study was conducted involving a total of 16 physicians from six different surgical departments in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University situated in Suzhou, China. A semi-structured face-to-face interview was conducted to collect interview information about pharmacy preoperative evaluation clinic. NVivo12 software was used to organize the entire interview content, and the interview data was analyzed and summarized using the Braun and Clarke’s six-step guide. Results Incomplete medical history collection and failure to timely stop or adjust certain medications before surgery were the main issues in preoperative management. The majority of participants (68.8%, n = 11) believed it was necessary to establish a pharmacy preoperative evaluation clinic, while the remaining participants (31.2%, n = 5) believed that the importance was not significant. According to the interviewees, the establishment of pharmacy preoperative evaluation clinic should consider the following four key issues: service form, service population, service content and process, and information transfer. The interviewees who participated in this study all agreed that it was necessary to charge a fee if pharmacy preoperative evaluation clinic was established, while the charging standard should be further explored. Conclusions Based on the perspectives of the physicians interviewed in this study, many surgical department physicians appear to recognize the value of pharmacy preoperative evaluation clinic and express a need for its development. This study provides important preliminary research information for the establishment of pharmacy preoperative evaluation clinic, laying the foundation for subsequent practical exploration and model establishment.

Keywords

• Pharmacy
• Medication therapy management
• Preoperative period
• Physicians
• Qualitative research