title: Exploring the General Practitioner-pharmacist relationship in the community setting in Ireland.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the General Practitioner (GP)-pharmacist relationship, to gain insight into communication between the professions and evaluate opinion on extension of the role of the community pharmacist.
  
  
  METHODS
  A postal questionnaire sent to 500 GPs and 335 community pharmacists with work addresses in the counties of Cork, Kerry, Tipperary, Waterford and Limerick, Ireland.
  
  
  RESULTS
  An overall response rate of 56% was achieved. Clear differences of opinion exist between GPs and pharmacists on the extension of the role of the community pharmacist; pharmacist provision of vaccinations (12% of GPs in favour versus 78% of pharmacists), pharmacists prescribing the oral contraceptive pill (18% GP versus 88% pharmacist) and increasing the prescribing power of the pharmacist (37% GP versus 95% pharmacist). Fifty-four percent of GPs and 97% of pharmacists were in favour of pharmacists providing screening services, while 82% of GPs and 96% of pharmacists were in favour of pharmacists dealing with minor ailments. Seventy-three percent of GPs and 43% of pharmacists agreed that communication between the professions was very good.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study identifies a clear difference of opinion on the extension of the role of the community pharmacist and recognises problems in communication between the professions. This comes on the background of continued calls from the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland for an extension of pharmacist roles and continued opposition from the Irish Medical Organisation to such moves. This study highlights the need for increased dialogue between representative organisations and a commitment for professional agendas to be set aside in the best interests of patients.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: McCarthy
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003142:Communication; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D058005:General Practitioners / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D007494:Ireland; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000458:organization & administration*; D024382:Professional Role; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: clinical pharmacy; clinical practice; delivery of care; primary care