PloS one
Barriers and enablers shaping kidney transplant care delivery: Insights from Iraqi pharmacists
By M Faisal S and Mohammed SI.
Abstract
Background
Kidney transplant care in low-resource countries is often affected by multiple factors, including workforce constraints, fragmented communication, and medication access challenges. Given pharmacists' involvement in medication management and regular patient follow-up, this study was designed to explore transplant care delivery in Iraq from pharmacists' perspectives.
Method
Qualitative data were collected using face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with all eligible pharmacists from the two major governmental hospitals in Baghdad caring for kidney transplant recipients. Afterwards, data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis approach.
Results
This study included 13 pharmacists, 5 of whom were working in the clinical transplant wards, whereas the remaining 8 were working in the outpatient consultation setting. Four descriptive themes were identified: Dispensing-centered practice within a constrained and evolving pharmacist role, fragmented yet adaptive interprofessional collaboration, patient education as an informal and inconsistently delivered practice, and medication availability within a constrained and variably regulated supply system.