Introduction. Implementing a professional service in pharmacy - i.e., a service integrated into practice which is routinized and institutionalized over time to achieve and maintain the expected service outcomes - is a complex process. From theory to practice, the implementers need a structured approach for strategy, planning, managing and monitoring the service during the process. The study reports on the development and evaluation of a user-friendly toolbox (named “TIPS: Toolbox for Implementation of community Pharmacy Services”) which aims to guide pharmacists, managers and other pharmacy staff wishing to implement professional services in community setting.
Method TIPS has been developed between trainers in implementation science (including academics and service implementers) who teach the tools as part of a continuing education course for registered pharmacists. TIPS has been designed for training purposes and is not specific to any pharmacy service. Tools are derived from project and business management, as well as implementation sciences. Each tool included in TIPS has been developed and/or selected to meet the specific objective of the implementation phases (following the FISpH, Framework for the Implementation of Services in Pharmacy) and generic enough to be adaptable for various types of services and pharmacy characteristics.
As next step, TIPS will be evaluated and validated by a group of experts including: i) community pharmacists to ensure that TIPS meets their expectations and needs in carrying out their implementation projects; ii) pharmacy managers to ensure that TIPS helps them achieve their objectives, make the right decisions according to their environment and characteristics, and monitor key aspects such as profitability and sustainability, iii) pharmacy academics in implementation science in other Swiss universities to ensure that TIPS is be helpful in collection of research data.
Results TIPS includes 15 methodological tools structured by implementation phases:
1) Exploration phase: stakeholders’ matrix and SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis, Pharm-Business Simulation tool;
2) Preparation phase: CFIR (Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research) framework, SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable/Ambitious, Relevant/Realistic, Time-Bound) goals, Working breakdown structure (WBS) & Product Breakdown Structure (PBS), PERT (Program Evaluation Review Technique) diagram, GANTT diagram;
3) Testing/Operation phase: Checklist of key indicators and data source of information, PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) approach, Quality and risk management;
4) Maintenance phase: Basics in clinical trials, economic evaluation and policy regulations applied to pharmacy services.
The final tool of TIPS is the formalization of a network to encourage peer exchanges and the pooling of resources, which cuts across all phases of the implementation process. The TIPS validation process is underway.
Conclusion TIPS can be useful as a training and practical when implementing services for an independent pharmacy, a pharmacy group/chain, a professional association or researchers. The next steps, after its validation, will be to find the right format to make the tool accessible and promote its use.