Medication recommendation by physiotherapists: A survey of Québec physiotherapists' opinions regarding a new interprofessional model of care with pharmacists.

BACKGROUND: To improve the efficiency of the health care system, new interprofessional models of care are emerging. In 2015, two provincial professional colleges, regulating the practice of physiotherapists and that of pharmacists in the province of Québec, Canada, developed a new interprofessional model of care. This model is designed to guide non-prescription medication recommendations by physiotherapists treating patients in primary care with neuromusculoskeletal disorders (NMSKD) with the collaboration of pharmacists.

PURPOSE: To assess Québec physiotherapists' interests to use this model and explore their opinions concerning their ability to recommend non-prescription medications to patients in primary care with NMSKD.

METHODS: An email invitation to complete an electronic survey was sent in February 2016 to all the Ordre professionnel de la physiothérapie du Québec's registered physiotherapists. The survey included a questionnaire with 31 questions divided into 5 sections. Descriptive analyses and Chi-square tests (χ2 ) were performed to compare proportions (%) across demographic and clinical characteristics.

RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-five physiotherapists completed the full survey. Of these, 70% of respondents knew of the model of care, but only 15% had previously used it. Perceived workload increase was one major reason reported for this lack of use (51%). Most of the respondents had a positive perception of this model and interactions with pharmacists and were confident regarding their ability to safely recommend medication (63%). However, 63% believed that further training was necessary to enable physiotherapists to provide efficient and safe non-prescription medication recommendations to patients with NMSKD.

CONCLUSIONS: Overall, physiotherapists have a positive perception of this model, but there remain opportunities for increased integration into practice. Most respondents believe that additional training is required regarding non-prescription medication recommendations.