Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39810119›Full record

ArticleBMC primary care2025

Service delivery and the role of clinical pharmacists in UK primary care for older people, including people with dementia: a scoping review.

Alice Burnand, Abi Woodward, Vladimir Kolodin, Jill Manthorpe, Yogini Jani, Mine Orlu, Cini Bhanu, Kritika Samsi, Victoria Vickerstaff, Jane Wilcock and 3 more

Abstract readScoping Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC primary care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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

9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
  6. Article
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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

13 authors.

Alice BurnandResearch Department of Primary Care and Population Health, Centre for Ageing Population Studies, University College London, London, UK. a.burnand@ucl.ac.uk.
Abi WoodwardCentre for Psychiatry and Mental Health, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, QMUL, London, UK.
Vladimir KolodinResearch Department of Primary Care and Population Health, Centre for Ageing Population Studies, University College London, London, UK.
Jill ManthorpeNIHR Policy Research Unit in Health & Social Care Workforce, King's College London, London, UK.
Yogini JaniResearch Department of Practice and Policy, School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, UK.
Mine OrluResearch Department of Pharmaceutics, UCL School of Pharmacy, University College London, London, UK.
Cini BhanuResearch Department of Primary Care and Population Health, Centre for Ageing Population Studies, University College London, London, UK.
Kritika SamsiNIHR Policy Research Unit in Health & Social Care Workforce, King's College London, London, UK.
Victoria VickerstaffResearch Department of Primary Care and Population Health, PRIMENT Clinical Trials Unit, University College London, London, UK.
Jane WilcockResearch Department of Primary Care and Population Health, Centre for Ageing Population Studies, University College London, London, UK.
Jane WardResearch Department of Primary Care and Population Health, Centre for Ageing Population Studies, University College London, London, UK.
Greta RaitResearch Department of Primary Care and Population Health, Centre for Ageing Population Studies, University College London, London, UK.
Nathan DaviesCentre for Psychiatry and Mental Health, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, QMUL, London, UK.

Funding

NIHR School for Primary Care Research 575
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveAs populations age globally, there is increasing prevalence of multiple long-term conditions, such as dementia, leading to many challenges. The burden on health and care services, economic pressures, and the necessity for innovative policies to better support older people and people with dementia becomes paramount. This review explores how clinical pharmacists working in UK primary care support older people and people with dementia.

designScoping review.

methodThis review was conducted following the framework for scoping reviews in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. The search of Scopus, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, PsycINFO, and Cochrane was initially conducted in September 2022, and updated in August 2024. Searches included literature exploring the landscape of clinical pharmacy services for older people in the UK, focusing on roles and services delivered, perceptions, and experiences.

resultsA total of 30 articles were included. These detail the multifaceted responsibilities of clinical pharmacists in primary care for older people. Stakeholder perspectives, including healthcare professionals and patients, emphasised the positive outcomes of clinical pharmacist involvement, from reducing other practitioners' workloads to improving patient safety. However, communication gaps, concerns about competence from other healthcare professionals, and the need for clear role definitions emerged as challenges. Research focused on the experiences of underserved groups, such as people with dementia or from minority ethnic backgrounds, is lacking. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: The review enhances our understanding of the primary care clinical pharmacist service in the UK and identifies gaps in evidence, emphasising the need for empirical studies on the experiences of older people with cognitive impairment and those from minority ethnic backgrounds. It provides insights into what makes an effective clinical pharmacist service, such as training and communication, which may help to inform international policy and practice and improve service provision globally.

Indexed as

Delivery of Health CareDementiaPharmacistsPrimary Health CareProfessional RoleAgedHumansUnited KingdomCare homesMedicationOlder peoplePharmacyPrimary care

Identifiers

PMID39810119
PMCPMC11731431

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.