Table 5.

Strategies to improve pharmacy services, subthemes, categories, and exemplar quotations.

Theme 4: Strategies to Improve Pharmacy Services
Subthemes	Categories	Quotations
Training opportunities for pharmacists	Provision of proper training and courses. Facilitation of one-year rotation job program to the pharmacists. Improve professional skills of pharmacists.	“Proper training and different courses will facilitate the implementation of the pharmacy services. The pharmacists should be aware of their roles at each level of the healthcare system. In poison control centers, they should have knowledge about all antidotes and treatment protocols. And all of this is possible through proper training and knowledge (Pharmacist 1)”. “First of all, the presence of pharmacists at each level is important. The pharmacists should be provided one-year house jobs for knowledge improvement and competency. This will facilitate implementation of pharmacy services (Pharmacist 8)”. “It is the duty of the pharmacist to improve their practice and professional skills. If they are good in terms of their professional skills, this will be beneficial. The pharmacists should have dedicated their skills towards hospitals and pharmacy services (Pharmacist 2)”.
Make patients more aware	Provide knowledge to patients about pharmacy services. Communication gap between patients and pharmacists.	“The awareness of patients about pharmacy services should also be encouraged. This is the better way to improve these services in Pakistan. Now, most of the people know about these services (Pharmacist 4)”. “Communication gaps between patients and pharmacists can be covered through proper counselling. If we counsel the patients and build up their confidence, then patients will feel the demand of these services. It will help to promote the pharmacy services (Pharmacist 4)”.
Implementation of pharmacy services rules	Enforcement of pharmacy services according to the DRAP Act, 2012.	“I think the regulatory body should strictly hire the pharmacists for 24 hours in hospitals to promote the involvement of pharmacists with patients. It will promote the involvement of pharmacists with patients and ultimately expand the awareness of pharmacy services. I think the regulatory body and Ministry of Health should be at the forefront to incorporate the clinical and pharmaceutical services according to DRAP (Pharmacist 6)”.
Collaboration amongst healthcare providers	Need for better interaction between doctors and pharmacists.	“The interaction between the doctors and pharmacists can be improved by reducing the communication gap between them. The pharmacy services will be better performed in a cooperative environment (Pharmacist 7)”.