A Qualitative Investigation into the Decision Making Patterns of Community Pharmacists

Context: There is a lack of literature describing the reasoning strategies utilized by pharmacists. Given the increasing complexity of pharmacists' work this is a concern for pharmacy educators, regulators, employers and other stakeholders, including patients.;Purpose: The purpose of this study was to undertake preliminary research into clinical problem solving strategies utilized by pharmacists.;Design, Setting and Participants: 12 pharmacists were studied who had experience in community pharmacy in the Greater Toronto Area.;Methods: Using qualitative data collection and analysis techniques, participants' responses to clinical case studies involving professional practice situations were evaluated.;Results: Managing cognitive dissonance between pharmacists' conflicting identities was a primary motivation for responses to clinical cases. Participants predominantly relied upon three specific reasoning/problem-solving tactics: educating/relationship building, seeking advice/deferring to other professionals, and "following the rules".;Conclusion: The data suggest that there is value to further education in the area of clinical reasoning and problem solving.