Table 1.
Pharmacists’ roles and perceptions of extent of impact of the COVID-19 pandemic
| Pharmacists’ roles during the COVID-19 pandemic | Never-Rarely | Sometimes | Often-Always | N/A | Total (n) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rationing limited supplies of medications (e.g., limiting dispensing to 30 days’ supply only) | 12.4% | 3.4% | 75.3% | 8.8% | 611 |
| Handling logistics of obtaining medication supplies (e.g., identifying workarounds for drug shortages, coordinating with other pharmacies) | 11.6% | 14.6% | 71.6% | 2.1% | 610 |
| Renewing/extending a prescription for continuity of care for chronic diseases | 12.4% | 10.1% | 70.4% | 7.1% | 605 |
| Educating the public on reducing the spread of COVID-19 infection (e.g., handwashing, social distancing) | 10.6% | 16.9% | 67.4% | 5.1% | 611 |
| Providing emergency supply refills during the COVID-19 pandemic (e.g., 30 days’ supply) | 17.1% | 9.8% | 64.7% | 8.3% | 601 |
| Treating ambulatory conditions (e.g., mild constipation, skin rash) | 14.7% | 18.6% | 60.8% | 5.9% | 607 |
| Establishing remote pharmacy services (e.g., medication delivery system, telehealth) | 26.9% | 15.7% | 50.3% | 7.1% | 606 |
| Screening for COVID-19 infection symptoms | 34.4% | 24.1% | 38.8% | 2.7% | 601 |
| Providing psychological first aid (e.g., allaying patients’ fears of the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying patients at risk of mental health crises) | 33.4% | 25.4% | 37.5% | 3.6% | 610 |
| Providing expertise or guidance to community members on COVID-19 infection treatments | 38.6% | 26.1% | 31.4% | 3.9% | 609 |
| Providing independent prescribing | 39.2% | 14.5% | 26.4% | 19.9% | 602 |
| Providing expertise or guidance to other health care providers on COVID-19 infection treatments | 49.4% | 22.6% | 23.7% | 4.3% | 603 |
| Administering vaccinations (e.g., influenza vaccines) | 56.0% | 14.5% | 20.3% | 9.2% | 595 |
| Following up on patients’ medication safety and efficacy when being actively treated with proposed COVID-19 infection treatments | 65.1% | 8.2% | 18.1% | 8.6% | 607 |
| Pharmacists’ perceptions of the extent of impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on them personally and professionally | Strongly Disagree or Disagree | Neutral | Strongly Agree or Agree | N/A | Total (n) |
| The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected my place of work (e.g., pharmacy) | 1.3% | 0.5% | 91.3% | 6.9% | 607 |
| The COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected the way I practise | 3.0% | 5.0% | 87.3% | 4.8% | 604 |
| The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased my concern for safety (e.g., self and others) | 2.7% | 4.5% | 87.8% | 5.1% | 603 |
| The COVID-19 pandemic significantly increased my stress level | 4.5% | 8.6% | 82.5% | 4.5% | 605 |
| Patients came to my pharmacy as they did not want to risk going to other health care providers and/or emergency rooms | 3.2% | 6.2% | 72.2% | 18.5% | 601 |
| Community members are coming to my pharmacy for information on the COVID-19 pandemic | 9.5% | 15.3% | 59.4% | 15.9% | 603 |
| Community members are coming to my pharmacy for me to calm their fears and anxiety regarding the COVID-19 pandemic | 11.6% | 19.4% | 52.9% | 16.1% | 603 |
N/A: Not Applicable.