Pharmacist self-reported antidepressant medication counseling

To identify the extent of pharmacists' self-reported antidepressant counseling (SRAC) and to identify factors that may affect pharmacists' decisions to provide antidepressant counseling.

Cross-sectional study.

Alabama community pharmacies in 2011.

Full-time pharmacists from 600 community pharmacies.

Self-administered survey; three mail contacts with alternate electronic surveys were used.

Pharmacists' SRAC behavior and its relationship with pharmacists' illness perceptions of depression, self-efficacy, and organizational and environmental influences.

600 surveys were sent; 22 were undeliverable, 1 was partially completed (<80% questions answered), and 118 were completed (20.6% overall response rate). Pharmacists reported low rates of involvement in antidepressant counseling; 61% reported assessing patient knowledge and understanding of depression, and 36% discussed options for managing adverse effects with no more than a few patients. More than one-quarter (28.6%) never asked patients whether they had barriers to taking antidepressants. Pharmacists' perceptions regarding consequences, control/cure, and the episodic nature of depression, as well as their self-efficacy, had significant relationships ( P < 0.05) with pharmacists' involvement in antidepressant counseling.

Low rates of pharmacists' involvement in antidepressant counseling were reported. Pharmacists must become more involved in counseling patients about their antidepressant medications and overcoming barriers preventing greater involvement.