Cross-cultural and international barriers and enablers to medication safety and pharmacotherapy: insights from a World Café study on interprofessional education

Abstract

Introduction The prevalence of chronic illnesses and polypharmacy has made medication safety complex. While interprofessional collaboration has been proposed as a strategy to improve medication safety and pharmacotherapy, little is known about the barriers and enablers that influence its implementation in this context. This study aims to identify these barriers and enablers, using the Interprofessional Education for Collaborative Patient-Centred Practice (IECPCP) framework. Methods A World Café study was carried out at the All Together Better Health XI conference in Doha, Qatar, in November 2023. Participants engaged in discussions on four key themes related to interprofessional education in pharmacotherapy and medication safety. Data were analyzed using the IECPCP framework. Results Seventeen participants from seven countries identified 41 barriers and 75 enablers. Thematic analysis revealed six overarching domains: Culture and Attitude, Policy and Governance, Structure and Curriculum, Roles and Identity, Resources and Support, and Evaluation and Evidence. Key barriers included hierarchical norms and a lack of clarity about interprofessional roles at macro and meso levels, and interpersonal conflict and limited accountability at a micro level. Enablers included the promotion of open communication, leadership support, integration of interprofessional education into curricula, and the use of real-world examples to improve the relevance of training. Conclusion National laws, healthcare policies, and cultural hierarchies hinder interprofessional education in pharmacotherapy and medication safety, and strict legal rules and professional responsibilities concerning prescribing complicate collaboration. Stimulating open communication between different professionals may help improve interprofessional collaboration and create more supportive conditions for safe prescribing and medication safety.

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