Selecting alternate drug therapies

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Practice
• Health Services Research
• Decision Science

Background:

• Understanding pharmacist decision-making is crucial for optimizing drug therapy selection.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated the specific cues influencing pharmacists' choices for alternative drug therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of four key cues on pharmacists' likelihood of selecting alternative drug therapies.
• To quantify the relative importance and usage frequency of cost, convenience, social support, and illness severity in these decisions.

Main Methods:

• A survey instrument with a 2x2x2x2 crossover design and repeated measures was employed.
• A linear prediction model was developed to analyze pharmacists' judgment policies regarding alternative drug therapies.

Main Results:

• Sixty-four percent of the variation in pharmacists' judgment policies was explained by the model.
• Cost of therapy was perceived as most important, but illness severity and social support were used more frequently in practice.
• Patient convenience was consistently ranked lowest in both importance and usage.

Conclusions:

• Pharmacists' decision-making for alternative drug therapies is complex, with a discrepancy between perceived importance and actual usage of certain cues.
• Illness severity and social support significantly influence practical choices, while cost, though highly valued, is used less frequently.
• The minimal use of patient convenience information warrants further investigation into its role in therapeutic decisions.