Evaluating Greek pharmacists' attitudes and barriers regarding medicines adherence

Adherence constitutes an integral aspect of achieving consistently good clinical results. Understanding pharmacists' perceptions and attitudes, along with existing barriers is essential on the roadmap of enhancing patient adherence. This constitutes the goal of this study.

A validated questionnaire was sent to a sample of 280 community pharmacists. Pharmacists were notified both by email and telephone. A response rate of 55% was achieved.

Most pharmacists agree that the identification of patients' suboptimal adherence falls under their professional responsibility and they engage in activities to promote it. There is evidence to support that the most popular interventions were self-management and indirect methods. Specific tools were used to a lesser degree. Finally, the current study illustrated that the most commonly identified barriers were the preference of patients for physicians regarding adherence, lack of information from patients and lack of time.

Although the important role of pharmacists in adherence is ascertained, significant discrepancies in the tools used to control and promote adherence among pharmacists were identified, and also in obstacles faced by themselves and their patients. The interventions should be more consistent and the notion of cooperation among health care professionals should be nurtured.