{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,27]],"date-time":"2026-05-27T13:52:13Z","timestamp":1779889933507,"version":"3.53.1"},"reference-count":25,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,1]],"date-time":"2025-12-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1764547200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pharmacy"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Introduction: Cancer pain remains a critical issue for patients\u2019 quality of life, affecting their physiology, psychology, and social relationships. Despite the widely recognized role of pharmacists in pain management, their involvement in palliative care in Greece remains limited. This study focuses on exploring the perceptions and experiences of pharmacists regarding their role in cancer pain management, identifying barriers, required skills, and proposing strategies for their integration in the multidisciplinary team. \u039caterials and \u039cethods: Qualitative research was conducted through semi-structured interviews with seven pharmacists in the Attica region. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and thematically analyzed. Results: The analysis revealed four main themes: (1) limited access to medical records and challenges in pharmaceutical decision-making, (2) lack of institutional frameworks and a culture of collaboration, (3) need for specialized education and continuous training, and (4) understaffing and bureaucracy, faced by pharmacists. Discussion: This study highlights the underutilized role of pharmacists in cancer pain management in Greece. Barriers such as restricted access to patient records, weak interdisciplinary collaboration, insufficient training, and bureaucratic constraints limit their contribution. Structured frameworks and collaborative cultures can enhance pharmacists\u2019 involvement, while education and continuous training are essential to strengthen their legitimacy within care teams. Digital tools can improve access to patient information and support evidence-based decisions. Conclusions: Pharmacists\u2019 integration in the patient\u2019s management team has significant benefits for the patient\u2019s quality of life. Strengthening pharmacists\u2019 involvement in cancer pain management requires the establishment of collaborations, continuous education, bureaucratic simplification, and the integration of digital tools. The development of practical resources, such as educational guides, can play a pivotal role in enhancing the quality of care provided.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pharmacy13060173","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,1]],"date-time":"2025-12-01T13:03:02Z","timestamp":1764594182000},"page":"173","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Barriers and Opportunities in Cancer Pain Management: A Qualitative Study on Pharmacists\u2019 Role"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0002-0837-0543","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Evangelos","family":"Aliferis","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, 11521 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3705-1007","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"George","family":"Koulierakis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, 11521 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7528-0487","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Christina","family":"Dalla","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"2nd Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology, Aretaieio Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11521 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Tina","family":"Garani-Papadatos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of West Attica, 11521 Athens, Greece"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Cancer Research UK (2025, June 30). 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