HealthDay News — The majority of Canadian physical therapists positively view a new interprofessional model of care with pharmacists, according to a study published online March 6 in the Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice.
Eveline Matifat, from the University of Montreal, and colleagues surveyed 225 Canadian physical therapists to assess their interest in using a new interprofessional model of care and explored their opinions concerning their ability to recommend nonprescription medications to patients in primary care with neuromusculoskeletal disorders.
The researchers found that 70% of respondents knew about the model of care, but only 15% had used it in the past. One major reason reported for the lack of use was a perceived increase in workload (51%). Most respondents reported a positive perception of this model and interactions with pharmacists, and were also confident in their ability to safely recommend medication (63%). However, nearly two-thirds (63%) believed further training was needed to enable physical therapists to provide efficient and safe nonprescription medication recommendations to patients with neuromusculoskeletal disorders.
“Overall, physical therapists have a positive perception of this model, but there remain opportunities for increased integration into practice,” conclude the authors.
