A Qualitative Analysis of 2022 Request to Speak Comments

Abstract

Specific Aims: To quantify and characterize the number of positive versus negative comments on a pharmacists’ role in providing health care based on the Arizona state legislature’s Request to Speak system, which has been implemented to allow the public to register opinions on bills before the legislature. To examine general public opinion based on a bill targeting pharmacist intervention and clinical judgment. Methods: This was a descriptive, observational, retrospective study that used data from public comments on the Arizona State legislature bill inquiry website which are submitted by registered voters in Arizona. Public comments from the Health and Human Services committee meeting on February 19, 2022, and the Rules committee meeting on February 21, 2022, on Senate Bill 1016 were collected and analyzed. Comments were eligible for inclusion if they were available for public viewing. Public comments on Senate Bill 1016 were analyzed and classified into themes according to the planned data analysis, which followed the framework method. Comments identified as “for” consisted of a pharmacist’s limited scope of practice, education, and clinical decision making skills as well as the patient/provider relationship and autonomy over treatment plans. “Against” comments were identified as addressing potential patient safety and a pharmacist’s extensive scope, education, and clinical decision making skills. Results: Out of 280 comments, 11 were excluded due to the lack of applicability, 18 (6.7%) were filed under the “for” SB1016 and 262 (97.4%) were “against.” The major themes found amongst the “for” comments were preserving the provider-patient relationship and misconceptions about the pharmacist’s scope of practice. The major themes determined amongst the “against” comments were understanding of the pharmacist’s scope of practice, patient harm, business autonomy/self-regulation, anti-science/conspiracy theory, civil liabilities, or miscellaneous. Conclusion: Based on the major themes amongst the “for” comments, pharmacists and pharmacy associations would benefit from public relations campaigns addressing the misconceptions about scope of practice. A pharmacist’s specialized and vast clinical knowledge would improve patient trust and care.