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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Pharmacol.

Sec. Drugs Outcomes Research and Policies

Implementation of Medication Review Type 2a in Community Pharmacies: A Longitudinal Survey Study

Provisionally accepted
Eline TobbackEline Tobback1Isabelle De WulfIsabelle De Wulf2Ella WautersElla Wauters1Delia Mendez SantosDelia Mendez Santos1Stéphanie PatrisStéphanie Patris3Olivia DalleurOlivia Dalleur4,5Eline TommeleinEline Tommelein6Veerle FoulonVeerle Foulon7Geneviève PhillipeGeneviève Phillipe8Carine De VrieseCarine De Vriese9Stephane SteurbautStephane Steurbaut10Nathalie DuquetNathalie Duquet2Guido R.Y. De MeyerGuido R.Y. De Meyer1Hans De LoofHans De Loof1*
  • 1Laboratory of Physiopharmacology, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerp, Belgium
  • 2Algemene Pharmaceutische Bond, Brussels, Belgium
  • 3Clinical Pharmacy Unit, Universite de Mons Faculte de Medecine Pharmacie et Sciences Biomedicales, Mons, Belgium
  • 4Pharmacy Departement, Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc, Brussels, Belgium
  • 5Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacoepidemiology, Universite catholique de Louvain Louvain Drug Research Institute, Brussels, Belgium
  • 6Departement of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium
  • 7Departement of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
  • 8Pharmacy Practice Research Group, Universite de Liege Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherche sur le Medicament, Liège, Belgium
  • 9Service de Pharmacologie, Pharmacothérapie et suivi pharmaceutique, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
  • 10Pharmacy Departement, Universitair Ziekenhuis Brussel, Brussels, Belgium

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Introduction: Medication Review Type 2a (MR2a), introduced to enhance medication use and health outcomes, has been reimbursed in Belgian community pharmacies since April 2023; however, its implementation status remains unreported. Aim: This longitudinal survey study aimed to document MR2a implementation among community pharmacists by identifying both facilitating and hindering factors. Methods: A bilingual online survey was distributed quarterly from October 2023 to October 2024 to all Belgian community pharmacies. The 45-item questionnaire— featuring multiple-choice, Likert scale, and open-ended questions—captured pharmacists' experiences about MR2a . Results: Across all rounds (n = 708), consistent findings emerged regarding key barriers and facilitators to MR2a implementation. Major challenges included time limitations, privacy-compliant communication systems, personnel shortages, inadequate consultation spaces and poor collaboration with general practitioners. Training and patient engagement were identified as key facilitators, yet ongoing stakeholder support was considered essential to ensure successful MR2a implementation. Conclusion: Repeated surveys offer timely insights into MR2a implementation in community pharmacies. The slow progress confirms existing obstacles and stresses the importance of continued support and improved interprofessional collaborations. These insights are expected to inform MR implementation locally and internationally.

Keywords: Pharmaceutical Services, Medication Therapy Management, Community Pharmacy Services, Health Services Accessibility, Interprofessional Relations, Surveys and questionnaires, Health Policy

Received: 14 Aug 2025; Accepted: 24 Oct 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Tobback, De Wulf, Wauters, Santos, Patris, Dalleur, Tommelein, Foulon, Phillipe, De Vriese, Steurbaut, Duquet, De Meyer and De Loof. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Hans De Loof, hans.deloof@uantwerpen.be

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

Supplementary Material