Patient perspective of medication information desired and barriers to asking pharmacists questions

To identify information patients want from a community pharmacist with new and refill prescription dispensing, examine how this varies across certain patient characteristics, and identify perceived barriers to asking pharmacists' questions.

Cross-sectional study.

Six states (Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Utah, Montana, and Arizona), from January 2006 to August 2008.

Convenience sample of 600 patients or caregivers at community pharmacies.

Brief, face-to-face, structured interviews.

Information desired by patients when receiving new and refill prescriptions and reasons why patients would not ask pharmacists medication-related questions.

Information most often desired at first medication dispensing was adverse effects (58.2%), basic instructions (32.6%), and drug interactions (31%). Less than 9% of patients stated no need for pharmacist-provided information or that written information sufficed. Younger (t = 4.81, P < 0.001) and more educated (X2 = 4.385, P = 0.036) patients were more likely to indicate a desire for adverse effect information than older or less educated patients. When asked about refills, nearly one-half reported wanting information beyond how many refills remain. Of patients, 15% wanted a review of information given when originally dispensed. A review of information was more often desired by patients with less than or equal to a high school education (X2 = 7.830, P < 0.01). Overall, information during refill dispensing was desired more often by those with less education (X2 = 4.786, P = 0.029).

These results support revisiting current pharmacy practice and practice laws about refill counseling and risk information provision, with greater potential implications for less educated individuals.