Pharmacists' perspectives and perceived barriers to counselling patients with kidney stones

The global increase in kidney stone incidence and its complications emphasise the need for effective management. While pharmacists can play a significant role in counselling and guiding patients, their practices in managing patients with kidney stones remain unclear.

To explore counselling practices and experiences of pharmacists when dealing with patients with kidney stones and to identify the barriers they face while providing counselling.

A qualitative study was performed using semi-structured phone interviews with pharmacists practising in Jordan. Pharmacists were selected using quota sampling from those who took part in a previous study focused on pharmacists' knowledge of kidney stone aetiology and treatment. The COM-B Model of Behaviour Change was used to develop the interview guide and the analytical framework. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a deductive thematic approach based on the pre-specified analytical framework.

Seven pharmacists (85.7% female; 57.1% working in community pharmacies) were interviewed. Counselling practices of patients with kidney stones were categorised into five themes: (1) Pharmacists' beliefs about patient counselling: perceived importance and desire to improve health through counselling; (2) Most priority patients: Types of patients mostly counselled; (3) Content of kidney stones-specific counselling: patient assessment and recommendations about kidney stones management; (4) Duration of the counselling sessions: time offered and influencing factors; (5) Barriers to patient counselling: patient-related, and pharmacist- and doctor-related challenges.

Pharmacists recognise the crucial role of kidney stones counselling but face gaps in their practices, including incomplete dietary education, limited knowledge of medication prescriptions, inconsistent patient-specific approaches, and potential communication challenges. These gaps can be overcome by enhancing training, standardising protocols of kidney stone treatment, promoting interprofessional communication, and improving communication strategies. Future research, including quantitative assessments, is needed to inform strategies that optimise patient counselling practices and facilitate improved outcomes.