Assessing public acceptance and perceived need for a "Family Pharmacy" model in South Korea: a cross-sectional...

The growing aging population and chronic diseases underscore the need for sustainable healthcare, with expanding South Korean pharmacies' roles beyond dispensing medicines offering a solution to fragmented care. This study assesses public acceptance and perceived need for implementing a "Family Pharmacy" model in South Korea by examining public perceptions, functional needs, and policy implications.

A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted among 1000 South Korean adults aged 19 years and older (response rate: 15.19%). Participants were categorized into three groups based on their pharmacy usage patterns: non-regular users, prescription-focused users, and comprehensive service users. Satisfaction levels, functional needs, and factors influencing "Family Pharmacy" selection were assessed. Logistic regression analysis identified predictors of willingness to use family pharmacies.

The comprehensive service user group reported significantly higher satisfaction across items such as pharmacist communication skills, adequacy of consultation time, and comprehensive health consultations. Functional needs like proper medication use education, adverse drug reaction monitoring, and consultation on new prescriptions were broadly supported. Critical selection factors included geographical accessibility, pharmacist expertise, and sufficient consultation time. Logistic regression analysis indicated higher odds of willingness to adopt the "Family Pharmacy" model among the comprehensive service user group (OR: 3.521) and participants with chronic diseases (OR: 2.033).

The "Family Pharmacy" model demonstrates the potential for implementation in South Korea, with public interest and functional needs aligning with its patient-centered approach. The successful introduction and expansion of a "Family Pharmacy" model requires a phased and coordinated approach.