Factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce: a systematic review

- Terry, Daniel, Peck, Blake, Hills, Danny, Baker, Ed, Schmitz, David

Title
Factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce: a systematic review
Creator
Terry, Daniel; Peck, Blake; Hills, Danny; Baker, Ed; Schmitz, David
Date
2021
Type
Text; Journal article
Identifier
http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/180316
Identifier
vital:15750
Identifier
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-07072-1
Identifier
ISBN:1472-6963 (ISSN)
Abstract
Background: Recruiting and retaining medical, nursing, and allied health professionals in rural and remote areas is a worldwide challenge, compromising continuity of care and population health outcomes in these locations. Specifically, pharmacists play an essential and accessible frontline healthcare role, and are often the first point of contact for health concerns. Despite several incentives, there remains a maldistribution and undersupply of pharmacists in rural and remote areas across many parts of the world. Although current systematic reviews have focussed on factors affecting pharmacists’ retention generally, literature specifically focused on rural pharmacist workforce in a global context remains limited. The aim of this systematic review is to identify factors associated with recruitment and retention of the pharmacist workforce in rural and remote settings. Better understanding of these contributors will inform more effective interventional strategies to resolve pharmacist workforce shortages. Methods: A systematic search of primary studies was conducted in online databases, including Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science and PsycINFO, and by hand-searching of reference lists. Eligible studies were identified based on predefined inclusion/exclusion criteria and methodological quality criteria, utilising the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and Good Reporting of A Mixed Methods Study (GRAMMS) checklists. Results: The final review included 13 studies, with quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods research design. Study-specific factors associated with recruitment and retention of pharmacists in rural practice were identified and grouped into five main themes: geographic and family-related, economic and resources, scope of practice or skills development, the practice environment, and community and practice support factors. Conclusions: The results provide critical insights into the complexities of rural recruitment and retention of pharmacists and confirms the need for flexible yet multifaceted responses to overcoming rural pharmacist workforce challenges. Overall, the results provide an opportunity for rural communities and health services to better identify key strengths and challenges unique to the rural and remote pharmacist workforce that may be augmented to guide more focussed recruitment and retention endeavours. © 2021, The Author(s). **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the Federation University Australia affiliates “Daniel Terry, Blake Peck, Danny Hills, Ed Baker and David Schmitz” are provided in this record** Correction to: Factors contributing to the recruitment and retention of rural pharmacist workforce: a systematic review (BMC Health Services Research, (2021), 21, 1, (1052), 10.1186/s12913-021-07072-1)
Publisher
BioMed Central Ltd
Relation
BMC Health Services Research Vol. 21, no. 1 (2021), p.
Rights
All metadata describing materials held in, or linked to, the repository is freely available under a CC0 licence
Rights
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Rights
Copyright © The Author(s) 2021
Rights
Open Access
Subject
0807 Library and Information Studies; 1110 Nursing 1117; Public Health and Health Services; Pharmacist; Recruitment; Retention; Systematic review
Full Text
Reviewed
Funder
This research was supported by a seeding funding from the Federation University Health Innovation and Transformation Centre. Initial funding for the development of the critical access hospital Community Apgar Program was provided by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Bureau of Rural Health and Primary Care.
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