A monetary incentive increases postal survey response rates for pharmacists

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Health Services Research
• Survey Methodology

Background:

• Postal questionnaires face challenges in achieving adequate response rates from healthcare providers.
• Monetary incentives are effective for increasing survey participation.
• The impact of incentives on retail pharmacist response rates remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness and cost of a monetary incentive in improving response rates from retail pharmacists.
• To assess the influence of a US$14 gift voucher on survey participation among Australian retail pharmacists.

Main Methods:

• A random sample of 700 pharmacies in NSW, Australia, received a survey on pharmacotherapies and smoking cessation advice.
• Pharmacies were randomly assigned to receive either a US$14 gift voucher or no incentive.
• Response rates were compared between the incentive and control groups.

Main Results:

• The response rate was 65.9% for the voucher group versus 53.5% for the no-voucher group.
• The odds of response were 1.68 times higher for pharmacists receiving the voucher (95% CI = 1.23, 2.30).
• The cost per additional respondent was US$67.95, with a 10% reduction in follow-up costs.

Conclusions:

• A moderate monetary incentive significantly increases response rates among retail pharmacists.
• Using incentives can enhance the representativeness of survey samples by reducing potential bias.
• Gift vouchers are a viable strategy for improving pharmacist participation in health research surveys.