Are Swedish pharmacy students prepared for patient communication at a distance? : A focus group study on pharmacy students' views and opinions on telepharmacy and pharmacy education, with a focus on communication at a distance.

Abstract: Background: The use of telepharmacy has increased worldwide during the last decades, and facilitated by the COVID-19 pandemic, it will likely accelerate further. Sweden has several pre-conditions needed for telepharmacy, yet, telepharmacy development is slow. Aim: The present study's objective was to examine Swedish pharmacy students' views and opinions on telepharmacy in Sweden today and their education. A particular interest in communication education and whether it has prepared the students for patient communication at a distance. Additionally, the study explores e-pharmacy professionals views on the needed skills and experiences when working in the Swedish telepharmacy field. Methods: Two focus groups of fourth-year pharmacy students were performed in April 2021 via the web-based videoconference program Zoom. An open-ended questionnaire was sent via e-mail to practising e-pharmacy professionals. Five students and three e-pharmacy professionals participated in the study. Thematic inductive analysis was used to analyse the collected data. Results: The study's result implicates that the Swedish pharmacy education curriculum does not include telepharmacy. The students desire further education regarding communication at a distance but believe that part of the current education could be applied in an e-pharmacy setting.  The students' skepticism to e-pharmacies ability to perform safe and satisfactory pharmaceutical services is largely based on preconceptions and assumptions, partly confirmed by e-pharmacy professionals.  Conclusions: To not inhibit future developments in the pharmacy market, future pharmacists must be educated on telepharmacy methods. This study's insights may be useful for future educational initiatives and developments of the pharmacy education curriculum.