Tanya Kane.

Harnessing ethnography in community pharmacies

Tanya Kane

College of Medicine, Qatar University

tkane@qu.edu.qa

Maguy El-Hajj

College of Pharmacy, Qatar University

Nadin Kamel

College of Pharmacy, Qatar University

Nk1703048@qu.edu.qa

Karina Doherty

College of Pharmacy, Qatar University

karinadoherty001@gmail.com

Dana Mustafa

College of Pharmacy, Qatar University

dm1805518@qu.edu.qa

Shareefa Moideen

College of Pharmacy, Qatar University

sm1806099@student.qu.edu.qa

Background: Ethnography is a useful method for firsthand observation of the social interactions and behaviour of people within a particular context. As such, it has much to offer research in social pharmacy and health services, yet it is rarely utilized. Community pharmacists are master multitaskers who prescribe and dispense medications to a myriad of customers (e.g. patients, family members, drivers, domestic workers) alongside other tasks, sometimes under challenging circumstances. Consequently, community pharmacies are potential sites of preventable medication errors. Medication error reporting is not well-regulated within this Qatari domain. It may be that some errors go unrecognized and even if detected, the onus of reporting lies with pharmacists.

This paper is an ethnographic case study of 23 community pharmacies in Doha from August to November 2024. Data collection entailed 1050 hours of participant observation and 16 in-depth interviews. Four qualified pharmacists undertook fieldwork documenting the daily routines of community pharmacists and their engagement with patients within “real world settings.” Examples from ethnographic fieldwork will be used to illustrate how participant observation provided unprecedented opportunities to gain insights into the Qatari pharmaceutical landscape including: its temporalities, stakeholders, dispensing and retail activities, power dynamics, surveillance, protocols and training to better contextualize prescribing errors.

This project was funded by a Qatar Research, Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council Academic Research Grant (ARG01-0517-230207).

BIOGRAPHIES

Tanya Kane, PhD: Tanya Kane is an Associate Professor of Behavioral Science in the College of Medicine at the University of Qatar. She holds a PhD and MSc in Anthropology from the University of Edinburgh, an MA in Classical Archaeology from McMaster University, a BEd from the University of Toronto, and a BA in Classics from Queen’s University (Canada). Her research interests include globalization of higher education, knowledge-based economies, medicine and gender, especially in relation to the countries of the Arabian Peninsula. Tanya’s current research is examining the psychosocial dimensions of infertility in Qatar. Her previous work has focused on dementia care, cultures of expertise, the intersection of religious and scientific knowledge, language in transnational education and the universality of medicine. Dr. Kane developed and continues to deliver the medical humanities elective at the College of Medicine.

Maguy El-Hajj, Pharm D, BScPharm: Dr. Maguy El-Hajj is a Clinical Associate Professor at Qatar University (QU) College of Pharmacy. In 2005, she earned a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree (with high distinction) from the Lebanese American University (LAU-ACPE accredited), and in 2006, she earned a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Between 2006 and 2007, she was a faculty member at the Lebanese International University School of Pharmacy. Her responsibilities included coordinating and teaching a variety of pharmacy practice and clinical pharmacy courses. Furthermore, she precepted pharmacy students in community and hospital settings during their senior year. In 2007, Dr. El Hajj joined the faculty at the QU College of Pharmacy as an Assistant Professor in the Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice (CPP) section. As one of the college's founding faculty members, she played a major role in its launch and success. She lead the integration of patient safety curricula at QU College of Pharmacy. She was the Head of QU's Clinical Pharmacy and Practice department from September 2010 to July 2020. Several of her achievements involved the development and improvement of the pharmacy curricula. She was the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at QU Health College of Pharmacy from August 2020 to August 2024. Some of her achievements include but not limited to: successful renewal of CCAPP accreditation for both the BScPharm and PharmD programs for five years,design and approval of a comprehensive Modular Curriculum, implementation of the new Modular Curriculum for P1 and P2 students, establishment of institutional membership for QU CPH within the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP), adapting the delivery of the BScPharm program under COVID-19 restrictions, ensuring continuity of education while prioritizing safety and well-being, alignment of the QU CPH BScPharm program with QU graduate attributes, integration of the QU CPH BScPharm program with QU educational excellence themes, comprehensive revision of all BScPharm courses’ syllabi, including mapping of learning outcomes to Bloom’s Taxonomy and planning and execution of various professional faculty development workshops on key pedagogical approaches such as problem-based learning, assessments, and modular curriculum.
Since 2012, Dr. El Hajj holds the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS). She serves as an Associate Editor for Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy Journal. Dr. El Hajj has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles and secured over 30 research grants from QU and Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF). She has presented more 60 posters at regional and international conferences.

Nadin Kamel, PharmD: Dr. Nadin Kamel, a PharmD graduate and researcher from Qatar University, earned her degree in 2023 after completing a Bachelor of Pharmacy with distinction. She participated in an exchange program at UBC, co-authored studies on patient safety, medication error prevention, and blood pressure control, and published an article on the mental health of community pharmacists during COVID-19.

Karina Doherty, MPharm, PGDipGPP: Karina is a Senior Clinical Pharmacist with over 15 years of experience in pharmacy. In 2008 she graduated from the University of Brighton with a Master of Pharmacy degree. In 2012 she graduated from University College London with a Post Graduate Diploma in General Pharmacy Practice. In 2009 Karina completed her pre-registration training at the Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS foundation Trust. In 2012 she completed a three-year pharmacy residency training program at the Chelsea and Westminster NHS foundation trust. Karina worked as a Senior Oncology and Haematology Pharmacist at the Royal Free London NHS foundation trust from 2012-2014 before returning to her home country and working as a Senior Clinical Pharmacist at St Vincent’s Private Hospital, Dublin.  In 2024 she joined the University of Qatar, College of Pharmacy as a research assistant.
Karina specialities included oncology, haematology and palliative care. She strives to develop new quality improvement initiatives and participates in ongoing research projects. Karina is passionate about advancing the field of clinical pharmacy, research and enhancing patient outcomes. She brings diverse perspectives and experiences to the team, and strives to foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence.

Dana Mustafa, BScPharm: Dana is a pharmacist with a passion for lifelong learning and advancing healthcare. After graduating from Qatar University in 2023, she began pursuing a master’s degree in genomics and precision medicine while working as a research assistant on impactful studies in clinical pharmacy.
Dedicated to improving health outcomes, Dana embraces challenges and seeks opportunities to grow and make a positive impact. With a focus on research and advancing knowledge, she aims to create meaningful change for individuals and communities. Through her work and studies, Dana is committed to building a healthier, better world.

Shareefa Moideen, PharmD: Dr. Shareefa Moideen is a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) graduate from Qatar University (QU). She earned her PharmD in 2024 after completing a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree in 2023 from the College of Pharmacy at Qatar University. In 2024, Dr. Shareefa Moideen worked as a Research Assistant at QU’s College of Pharmacy. She also gained hands-on pharmacy practice experience through advanced internships in various fields, solidifying her understanding of clinical and community pharmacy settings.