OPEN Summit 2023 Abstracts–Poster and Oral Presentations

BACKGROUND: Expanding pharmacists' scope of practice to include prescribing for thirteen minor ailments, including infectious diseases, in the community pharmacy setting began January 2023. This expansion presents opportunities to improve patients’ access to timely care and harness pharmacists’ expertise to increase appropriate prescribing. Identifying key facilitators and barriers for the effective implementation of pharmacist prescribing is crucial to proactively support this evolution. OBJECTIVE : To identify facilitators and barriers for the effective implementation of pharmacists prescribing medications for selected minor ailments and infectious diseases METHODS : Virtual interviews and online surveys were utilized to gather pharmacists’ perspectives on service provision across Ontario prior to the launch. Virtual focus group discussions were conducted with primary care physicians and patients separately. Focus groups and interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analyzed. Data analysis was guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and the Theoretical Domains Framework