Exploring The Factors Affecting The Preparedness Of Australian Pharmacists To Respond To Disasters: A Qualitative Study

Background Disasters affect health services, health professionals and the health of individuals. During disasters, pharmacists are essential in maintaining the health of their communities. Despite the important roles pharmacists undertake in disasters, little is known about their preparedness to respond to disasters that may affect their communities.Aim To qualitatively explore the factors that affect Australian pharmacists' preparedness for disasters.Methods Semistructured interviews aimed at exploring disaster preparedness were conducted with 13 pharmacists in Australia. Participants were recruited using purposive, snowball, and convenience sampling methods. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Open and axial coding methods were used to determine the factors associated with preparedness. Ethical approval was obtained from Queensland University of Technology (no. 1700000626).Results Almost half of the participants (46%) did not feel that they were prepared for a disaster likely to affect their primary place of practice. Two overarching themes contributing to participants' preparedness were identified: 'individual factors' and 'external factors'. Pharmacists believed that their preparedness was affected by the individual factors of experience, soft skills, knowledge and training. They also noted that external factors such as available resources, administrative support, multisector support and actions by supports were required for them to be prepared.Conclusion This research is the first of its kind to explore the factors affecting pharmacists' disaster preparedness. The results indicate that Australian pharmacists feel underprepared for disasters; however, improving this preparedness is complex and will require more than a single intervention. Interventions for improving preparedness need to target individual and environmental factors and involve the whole healthcare team.