Clinician Perceptions of Clinical Pharmacy Services at Federally Qualified Health Centers in Ohio.

Abstract

Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are safety-net institutions that are heavily affected by burnout among health care professionals. We examined pharmacist-clinician relationships in FQHCs by assessing clinicians' satisfaction with clinical pharmacy services (CPS), perceptions of the impact of CPS on patient care and clinician well-being, and the potential impact of CPS on clinician retention. We used a survey composed of 21 questions sent to clinicians practicing within Ohio-based FQHCs with access to CPS. Respondents noted that CPS positively affected their well-being, specifically contributing to a more manageable workload, increased professional development, and freedom for clinicians to focus on more professionally fulfilling tasks. Clinicians perceived that CPS positively affects patient outcomes and provider retention. Federally qualified health center leadership can use these results to understand the contributions of CPS to patient care and clinician well-being and retention to enhance health care access and quality.