Patients' willingness to pay for pharmacist-provided menopause and hormone replacement therapy consultations

To determine what women would be willing to pay for pharmacist-provided menopause and hormone replacement therapy consultations and the relationship between willingness to pay (WTP) and patients' perceptions of importance of resolving menopausal symptoms, their satisfaction with physician services, their perceptions of pharmacists' abilities, and income.

A convenience sample of 203 adult women using medications to treat menopause was recruited by their pharmacists. A self-administered survey was used to address the study objectives. The contingent valuation method was used to assess WTP in 4 scenarios (ie, 50% and 100% improvement in symptoms after a half-hour initial and a half-hour follow-up visit, respectively). Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between WTP and the independent variables.

Two hundred and three surveys were returned resulting in a response rate of 41%. Across all 4 scenarios, at least 85% of women surveyed were willing to pay a minimum of 20 US dollars for pharmacist-provided menopause and hormone replacement therapy services. Respondents were willing to pay a median of 40 US dollars (for both 50% and 100% improvement) per half-hour for initial consultations, and 20 US dollars and 40 US dollars (50% and 100% improvement, respectively) per half-hour for follow-up consultations. Regression analyses revealed that across all 4 scenarios, patients' perceptions of pharmacists' abilities and income were significantly and positively (P < .05) related to WTP for menopause and hormone replacement therapy counseling.

This study showed that most women surveyed were willing to pay for pharmacist-provided hormone replacement therapy and menopause counseling services and that the WTP amounts increased as patients' perceptions of pharmacists' abilities and income increased. If pharmacists can effectively educate the public about their capabilities and expertise, they may discover that they have a new niche opportunity.