The primary evidence base for veterinarian-pharmacist collaboration is small but revealing: according to Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026), the scoping review synthesized 16 studies and highlighted compounding and drug information as dominant pharmacist roles. This post explains the PLOS One findings for qualitative researchers and shows how AI-enabled qualitative research tools can speed synthesis, surface cross-region patterns, and turn perception-based survey data into actionable recommendations. The primary keyword for this post is "veterinarian-pharmacist collaboration" and the analysis below targets researchers, pharmacy educators, and veterinary practice managers seeking reproducible qualitative insight.
Key Takeaways
According to Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026) PLOS One, the global literature on veterinarian-pharmacist collaboration is limited (16 included studies) but consistent in showing pharmacists most often contribute via compounding and drug information support.
- 239 records were retrieved and screened, and 16 studies were included in the final review, according to Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026) (search completed 30 August 2025).
- Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026) report that 62.5% of included studies (10 of 16) described pharmacists’ roles in compounding and dispensing, with studies published between 2007 and 2024.
- Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026) found geographic concentration: United States (n = 7), New Zealand (n = 3), and Japan (n = 3), with the article published on 31 July 2026.
- Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026) identify a persistent barrier described as a perceived "knowledge gap" in species-specific pharmacology that limits deeper clinical integration.
What happened and how the review was done
Answer: Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026) systematically mapped literature on veterinarian-pharmacist collaboration to describe roles, settings, and perceptions and to identify research gaps.
According to Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026), two reviewers searched PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Ichushi-Web, and Google Scholar through 30 August 2025, retrieved 239 records, and after de-duplication and screening included 16 studies published from 2007 to 2024.
According to Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026), most included studies were cross-sectional surveys and settings included veterinary hospitals (12 studies), community pharmacies (4 studies), and zoos (3 studies).
According to Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026), pharmacist activities reported were: compounding/dispensing (10/16 studies, 62.5%), drug information/consultation (6/16, 37.5%), inventory/supply management (4/16, 25.0%), client education (3/16, 18.8%), and safety/exposure control (2/16, 12.5%).
"Pharmacists are expanding their role in veterinary medicine, evolving from traditional dispensing functions to active contributors to clinical care and medication safety, " write Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026).
Findings Snapshot
| Date (source) | Metric | Value | Implication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 August 2025 (search end) | Total records retrieved | 239 | Broad initial capture but narrow final evidence base |
| 31 July 2026 (publication) | Included studies | 16 (published 2007–2024) | Limited and regionally clustered evidence |
| Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026) | Studies reporting compounding/dispensing | 10 of 16 (62.5%) | Compounding is the dominant pharmacist contribution |
| Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026) | U.S. studies | 7 | Most evidence originates from the United States |
| Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026) | Studies noting inventory or safety roles | Inventory 4 (25.0%), Safety 2 (12.5%) | Management and safety roles are present but less common |
Implications for veterinary researchers and educators
Answer: The PLOS One review indicates research priorities and educational gaps that researchers and educators should address to build trust and measurable impact.
According to Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026), a core barrier is veterinarians' concern about pharmacists' limited species-specific training; this suggests targeted curriculum and residency programs are needed to close the trust gap.
According to Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026), most existing evidence is perception-based; researchers should design prospective studies that measure clinical outcomes, medication errors, or occupational safety to move beyond surveys.
According to Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026), regional practice differences mean interventions should be context-specific: in North America and Oceania prioritize compounding protocols, in parts of Asia prioritize inventory and information services.
How Evidano helps research on veterinarian-pharmacist collaboration
What problem does AI-enabled qualitative analysis solve for this evidence base?
Answer: AI-enabled qualitative analysis converts dispersed, perception-based studies into structured themes, frequencies, and cross-region comparisons that researchers can act on.
Evidano is an AI-powered qualitative data analysis platform that helps researchers analyze interviews, open-ended surveys, and documents. Evidano ingests transcripts, papers, and survey spreadsheets, then generates thematic, content, frequency, and cross-segment analyses to find recurring barriers such as the "knowledge gap" flagged by Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026).
Problem: Most included studies are small cross-sectional surveys with text responses; Solution: Evidano's thematic coding and co-occurrence networks surface consistent concerns (for example, trust, training, compounding safety) and quantify how often they appear by country or setting.
Problem: Non-English evidence is underused; Solution: Evidano's translation capabilities with custom dictionaries help teams include Ichushi-Web and Japanese studies cited by Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026) without losing domain terms.
Problem: Synthesizing hundreds of documents is slow; Solution: Evidano's AI chat over your documents and visualizations (word clouds, co-occurrence networks) accelerates synthesis for grant proposals, curriculum design, or guideline development. See Evidano features for relevant tool descriptions.
How to turn perception-based survey data into measurable reform
Answer: Combine coded qualitative themes with simple quantitative indicators to build pilot outcome measures for clinical safety and cost.
Step 1: Use Evidano to auto-extract themes (for example, "compounding" or "inventory management") from the 16 studies and related gray literature identified by Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026).
Step 2: Cross-segment those themes by country and setting to prioritize pilot sites where pharmacists already provide compounding (United States, New Zealand) or inventory services (Japan), as reported by Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026).
Step 3: Design measurable pilots (adherence, dispensing error rates, occupational safety compliance) and use Evidano to monitor free-text incident reports and client feedback alongside quantitative metrics.
FAQ: veterinarian-pharmacist collaboration
What are the most common pharmacist roles in veterinary medicine identified in the 2026 review?
Answer: The most common roles are compounding and dispensing, followed by drug information and inventory management.
According to Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026), compounding/dispensing appeared in 10 of 16 studies (62.5%), drug information/consultation in 6 of 16 (37.5%), and inventory/supply management in 4 of 16 (25.0%).
Why do veterinarians hesitate to integrate pharmacists into clinical roles?
Answer: Veterinarians often cite a perceived lack of species-specific training and the risk of inappropriate human-to-animal substitutions.
According to Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026), that perceived "knowledge gap" and documented incidents of unauthorized substitution are key barriers to clinical delegation.
How can qualitative research help design pharmacist education for veterinary contexts?
Answer: Qualitative research identifies the exact knowledge gaps and workplace frictions that curricula should target.
According to Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026), interviews and surveys point to topics such as species-specific pharmacokinetics, compounding best practices, and hospital safety procedures, areas that qualitative coding can prioritize for syllabi and residencies.
Can AI tools safely include non-English studies when synthesizing evidence on this topic?
Answer: Yes, when using domain-tuned translation and human validation to preserve technical terms and regulatory nuances.
According to Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026), Japanese-language studies contributed unique insights (n = 3), and the authors recommend active translation strategies; AI-assisted translation plus expert review enables inclusion without loss of meaning.
Conclusion & Next Steps
Answer: The 2026 PLOS One scoping review maps a small but actionable literature on veterinarian-pharmacist collaboration and highlights education, research, and contextual pilots as next steps.
According to Kambayashi et al., PLOS One (2026), addressing the perceived species-specific training gap is central to expanding pharmacists' roles from compounding to integrated clinical participation.
Researchers and stakeholders can use AI-enabled qualitative analysis to prioritize interventions, translate non-English evidence, and design measurable pilots that test safety and clinical outcomes.
If you want to synthesize interviews, surveys, and the literature cited in the PLOS One review faster, Try Evidano for free. For tool details see Evidano features.