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Advice-giving in community pharmacies in the UK
M P Tully1, K Hassell, P R Noyce
1Academic Pharmacy Practice Unit, Department of Pharmacy, University of Manchester, UK.
Journal of Health Services Research & Policy
|December 8, 1996
Summary
Consumers want medicine advice from pharmacies, but there
Area of Science:
- Pharmacy Practice and Patient Counseling
- Health Services Research
- Communication in Healthcare
Background:
- The provision of information and advice regarding prescribed and purchased medicines by community pharmacy personnel is a critical aspect of patient care.
- Understanding patient expectations and experiences with pharmacy-based medicine advice is essential for optimizing health outcomes.
- The quality and appropriateness of study methodologies in this field require systematic evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing research on information and advice provided by pharmacists and pharmacy assistants for prescribed and purchased medicines.
- To assess patient expectations, experiences, and utilization of medicine advice from community pharmacies.
- To critically evaluate the methodological rigor and appropriateness of studies in this domain.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search was conducted for papers published between 1980 and 1995.
- Databases, literature indexes, key pharmacy journals, and reference lists were utilized for study identification.
- Selected papers reported research on medicine-related communications and advice provision in UK community pharmacies, with a subjective assessment due to study variability.
Main Results:
- Forty-two studies were reviewed, revealing no consistent definition of 'advice'.
- Most research focused on the frequency of advice-giving, with limited exploration of its impact on patient outcomes.
- A significant disparity exists between the advice patients desire and what they actively seek, with pharmacy assistants' roles in advice-giving being under-researched.
Conclusions:
- A consensus exists on the desire for pharmacy advice, yet a gap in understanding persists between consumers and professionals regarding its necessity and delivery.
- The provision of unsolicited medicine advice is a contentious issue, particularly relevant given ongoing deregulation of medicines.
- A collaborative forum is recommended to develop guidelines addressing shared expectations among patients, pharmacists, government, and the pharmaceutical industry.