The Impact of a Prescription Service Checklist on Patient Awareness of the Role of Pharmacists in the Community Pharmacy

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the public’s awareness regarding the professional role pharmacists have in a community pharmacy setting. Methods: The study design was a small-scale, cross-sectional survey conducted in two community pharmacy sites. Subjects included patients picking up prescription medications requiring pharmacist consultation. Volunteer participation and completion of the PQ, constituted eligible enrollment into the study. The pharmacy questionnaire (PQ) consisted of 11 statements. Subjects were to read and signify along an ordinal scale whether they strongly disagreed to strongly agree with each statement. A total of 134 surveys were completed and returned for analysis from the two pharmacy sites. Analysis of the PQ looked at responses within and between group demographics, such as gender, age, frequency and reason for visitation to pharmacy. The impact of the independent variables on patient responses to the questionnaire and the differences in patient responses between the two collection periods was analyzed using independent t-tests or a one-way ANOVA. Results: The average response scores were positive for all Statements, ranging from ‘Somewhat Agree’ to ‘Agree.’ The two lowest rated statements were concerning the refusal to fill an unsafe prescription, and checking for prescription 3x for accuracy. The three highest rated Statements were ensuring patient understanding of proper medication use, answering questions about side effects, and pharmacist knowledge and expertise. Women answering questions more positively than men, particularly with ensuring patient understanding of proper medication use (p <0.01) and answering questions about side effects (p <0.05). The pharmacists’ knowledge and expertise was significantly higher rated in women than in men (p <0.01) and older women answered more positively than younger women (p <0.05). The statement about Refusing to fill an unsafe prescriptions had subjects 26 to 35 years old answering more negatively when compared to the 46 to 55 and >65 year old groups (p <0.05). As age increased, subjects responded more positively to the pharmacist verifying dosages, and men disagreed to a greater degree than women (p <0.01). Increases in the frequency of pharmacy visits had a visual trend of more positive responses, but only the verification of dosages was nearly significant (p <0.05). By whom the questionnaire was completed by (self or non-self) had no bearing on the response. Conclusions: Regardless of age, gender, or setting, patients tended to be reasonably familiar with the role community pharmacists take part in as a member of the health care profession.