Exploring the Role of Community Pharmacists in the Provision of Preconception Care

Preconception care is essential for optimising reproductive and pregnancy outcomes, yet many people of reproductive age do not access or receive timely preconception health advice through traditional healthcare pathways. Community pharmacists are highly accessible primary healthcare providers and are well positioned to support preconception care through health promotion, medication review, and referral. However, little is known about the scope, confidence, and feasibility of preconception care provision within the community pharmacy setting. This honours project aims to explore current practices, beliefs, and perceived barriers and facilitators to pharmacist‑led preconception care, to inform future service development and workforce support. The project will involve a literature review and qualitative interviews. This project sits within the NHMRC-funded SPHERE Centre of Research Excellence. This is the first dedicated Centre to lead research that is aimed at improving the quality, safety, and capacity of primary health care services to achieve better outcomes in women’s sexual and reproductive health. SPHERE is led by Professor Danielle Mazza and supported by multidisciplinary students and researchers within SPHERE as well as in the Department of General Practice. Students working under SPHERE will be supported by the research team, which consists of Post Docs, PhD students, academic registrars and honours students. They will also have the opportunity to be part of a large, multidisciplinary, collaborative team of investigators, which includes prominent national and international researchers and experts working in women’s health, general practice, pharmacy, nursing, epidemiology, knowledge translation, health economics, and policy development. This study would be suitable for BMedSci, BBiomed Sc, BHealth Sc and Pharmacy or other honours students, or as a Masters of Public Health research project.