Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35236731›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2022

Pharmacist's time spent: Space for Pharmacy-based Interventions and Consultation TimE (SPICE)-an observational time and motion study.

Ajay Karia, Richard Norman, Suzanne Robinson, Elin Lehnbom, Tracey-Lea Laba, Iva Durakovic, Christine Balane, Rohina Joshi, Ruth Webster

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 25 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
25citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
5.2field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

25 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  7. Spaced learning versus traditional learning for pharmacists implementing β-lactam therapeutic drug monitoring.American journal of health-system pharmacy : AJHP : official journal of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists · 2026
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  8. Article
  9. Availability, utilization, and factors associated with professional pharmacy services in community pharmacies in Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study.Journal of pharmacy & pharmaceutical sciences : a publication of the Canadian Society for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Societe canadienne des sciences pharmaceutiques · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 5 institutions in 7 countries.

Ajay KariaSchool of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia ajay.karia@curtin.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0001-5300-4062
Richard NormanSchool of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Suzanne RobinsonSchool of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.ORCID 0000-0001-5703-6475
Elin LehnbomDepartment of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø-The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway.ORCID 0000-0003-1428-5476
Tracey-Lea LabaCentre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Iva DurakovicInterior Architecture, Faculty of Built Environment, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Christine BalaneThe George Institute for Global Health, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia.
Rohina JoshiThe George Institute for Global Health, Newtown, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-3374-401X
Ruth WebsterCentre for Health Economics Research and Evaluation, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.ORCID 0000-0002-7444-3037
Curtin University · AUThe George Institute for Global Health · GBUniversity of Technology Sydney · AULinnaeus University · SEUNSW Sydney · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo describe the pharmacists' workflow, including tasks and time spent, to better understand their work capacity.

designCross-sectional, observational, time and motion study.

settingCommunity pharmacies in Western Australia and New South Wales, Australia.

participantsCurrently registered and practising pharmacists were approached using snowball sampling and selected using purposive techniques to obtain balance representation of metropolitan and rural pharmacies, as well as high and low script volumes where possible.

resultsTwenty-four pharmacists across 15 pharmacies participated during the 135 sessions totalling over 274 hours of observation. Dispensing (30%), indirect patient services (17%), counselling (15%) and professional management activities (15%) were the top four duties pharmacists performed, while only 2% of time was spent on professional services such as pain clinics and influenza vaccinations. Tasks were frequently interrupted and often performed simultaneously. Breaks and consumer-contact times were limited. More time was spent on professional service activities in non-metropolitan pharmacies, in pharmacies with greater daily prescription volumes and those with one or more support pharmacists.

conclusionsThis is the first study to quantify the pharmacists' tasks in Australian community pharmacies. Much time is being spent on dispensing, supply and management activities with little time for providing additional professional services. An extra supporting pharmacist is likely necessary to increase professional services. These findings could support future research around barriers and enablers of conducive workflows and of extended professional services.

Indexed as

Community Pharmacy ServicesPharmaciesPharmacyAustraliaCross-Sectional StudiesHumansPharmacistsProfessional RoleReferral and ConsultationTime and Motion Studieschange managementhealth services administration & managementorganisation of health servicesprimary carequality in health care

Identifiers

PMID35236731
PMCPMC8896034
OpenAlexW4214865438

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.