Community pharmacy as a primary health and self-care resource: a framework for understanding pharmacy utilization

A number of different models exist to help explain health care utilization behaviour, though none have been applied to the use of community pharmacy. In policy terms pharmacy utilization is an important one to address as Government is keen to support a shift in GPs' workload to community pharmacy. The paper begins by outlining the different health utilization models. We then draw on the different frameworks to help explore the nature of community pharmacy use. Using data from two separate pharmacy studies that included observational work, interviews and a literature review, we identify what key influences are important in conceptualizing pharmacy utilization. Previous research has tended to focus on factors associated with socio-demographic characteristics of service users, but the current research on which the paper draws, highlights the importance of factors associated with need and demand issues in shaping how pharmacies are utilized. Process factors and the impact of internal and external organizational factors are also highlighted as important.