Pharmacist perceptions on the presentation of social isolation and loneliness (SIL) in community pharmacy settings in Ireland – A mixed methods study

Social isolation and Loneliness (SIL) represent a critical public health issue as they are strongly associated with adverse physical, mental and emotional health and wellbeing outcomes. Community pharmacies are accessible and frequently accessed healthcare locations and are potentially valuable settings for interventions designed to support patients experiencing SIL. However, a barrier to the development of community pharmacy based SIL interventions is a knowledge gap regarding nature of the presentation of SIL in this setting. This study adopts a mixed methods approach to explore this from the perspectives of practicing community pharmacists in Ireland. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with community pharmacists practicing in Ireland (<i>n</i> = 9) followed by a national survey of practicing community pharmacists (<i>n</i> = 95 participants). Four themes were identified from the interview data: <b>recognition of SIL, SIL risk factors, enablers</b> and <b>Barriers to supporting patients experiencing SIL</b>. Pharmacists described frequent encounters with SIL particularly among older and underrepresented patents. SIL was often recognised through the presence of pharmaceutical care issues and other indirect approaches. Pharmacists expressed a strong sense of responsibility to support patients. Barriers to supporting patients were reported such as lack of appropriate training, signposting knowledge and resource constraints. Survey findings corroborated these themes with respondents reporting frequent encounters with SIL, and needs for guidance and resourcing support. This study highlights the potential for pharmacies to act as valuable locations for interventions supporting social connectivity. However, integration of pharmacy services into wider support and wellbeing services, appropriate resourcing, inclusion of SIL in pharmacy education, and appropriate patient informed service co-design are critical for this potential to be fully realised.