Community pharmacy as a setting for public health nutrition action: Australian nutritionists’ perspectives

Judith Maher; John B Lowe; Roger Hughes

doi:10.1017/S1368980014002201

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Community pharmacy as a setting for public health nutrition action: Australian nutritionists’ perspectives

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Community pharmacy as a setting for public health nutrition action: Australian nutritionists’ perspectives

Judith Maher, John B Lowe and Roger Hughes

Public Health Nutrition, Vol.18(10), pp.1864-1872

2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980014002201

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Abstract

community pharmacy

maternal and child nutrition

public health nutrition

practitioner

settings

Objective To explore public health nutritionists' perceptions of nutrition and its place in community pharmacy (CP) presently and into the future; and to explore perceived opportunities, feasibility and scope of public health nutrition (PHN) interventions in CP, with a focus on maternal and infant nutrition. Design Qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and drew on hermeneutics as the theoretical framework for analysis and interpretation. Setting Queensland, Australia. Subjects Public health nutritionists, identified through purposive, criterion sampling, were chosen due to (i) their role as potential stakeholders, (ii) their knowledge and emphasis on nutrition and (iii) their practice experience. Results Opportunities for PHN action focused primarily on actions relating to early nutrient supplementation in pregnancy and breast-feeding protection and promotion. Opportunities in CP were constrained by practitioners' perception of (i) conflict between health care and commercial interests in CP, (ii) problematic practices in CP and (iii) values and motivations of practitioners and other stakeholders in the CP sector. Strategies were suggested to improve practices and enhance the setting from a PHN perspective. Participants suggested both collaborative and regulatory approaches to achieve settings-based changes, identifying the need for these to coexist for effective outcomes. Conclusions Public health nutritionists suggest that opportunities for PHN action are constrained by perceived conflicted interests and that consumers need to be adequately protected from the influence of commercial interests. PHN action in this setting needs adequate reflection on evidence as well as ethics ensuring that practices are 'for the good' of mothers and infants.

Details

Title: Community pharmacy as a setting for public health nutrition action: Australian nutritionists’ perspectives
Authors: Judith Maher (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
John B Lowe (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
Roger Hughes (Author) - Bond University
Publication details: Public Health Nutrition, Vol.18(10), pp.1864-1872
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Date published: 2015
DOI: 10.1017/S1368980014002201
ISSN: 1368-9800
Organisation Unit: University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Health - Nutrition & Dietetics; School of Health and Sport Sciences - Legacy; Centre for Bioinnovation; School of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Legacy
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99448976902621
Output Type: Journal article

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Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Nutrition & Dietetics; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health

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