“To be or not to be in the ward”: The impact of COVID-19 on the role of hospital-based clinical pharmacists—A qualitative study

Introduction: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has significantly affected health care systems around the world. In many hospitals and health care facilities, services and health care workers have been reorganized and restructured to meet the demands of the pandemic. The impact of the pandemic on hospital-based clinical pharmacists and their ability to deliver pharmaceutical care is currently unknown. Objective: This study aimed to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospital-based clinical pharmacists working in Malaysia and the implications on how clinical pharmacy is perceived as a health care service. Methods: A qualitative study was designed to meet the research objectives. Nineteen hospital-based clinical pharmacists consented and participated in one-on-one, semi-structured interviews. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using an iterative thematic analysis approach. Results: The experiences and views of the participants were reported. Three main themes were developed: “Reassignment and other changes in clinical pharmacist roles,” “Adapting clinical pharmacy services to COVID-19,” and “The need for clinical pharmacists in the ward.” The findings indicate that in many cases, clinical pharmacy services were fully or partially withdrawn from the ward to reduce the risk of infection and to conserve the usage of personal protective equipment. Despite this, clinical pharmacists continued to support patient care in hospitals through the use of technology. The withdrawal of clinical pharmacy services, however, raises concern that the role of clinical pharmacists is still poorly recognized. Conclusion: Clinical pharmacists in hospitals continue to support patient care despite the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Greater support and recognition of their role is required in order to empower and enhance their ability to deliver pharmaceutical care.