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Consumer preferences for pharmacist- and GP-led diagnostic and prescribing professional services: a discrete choice
Ajay Mahendrarai Karia1, Suzanne Robinson1,2, Ruth Webster Griffiths3
1Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent St, Bentley, WA 6102, Australia.
Objectives:
Given the increasing demand for primary healthcare services and the importance of understanding consumer perceptions and preferences for who delivers those services, our study aimed to elicit relative, value-based consumer preferences for community pharmacist-led prescribing services, their willingness-to-pay and trade-offs, and compare these to a similar general practitioner (GP)-led service.
Methods:
A discrete choice experiments survey was conducted with Australian consumers on the management of hypertension. Participants considered a series of hypothetical choices and selected between pharmacist- and GP-led services based on six attributes: provider type, relationship with the provider, consultation time, cost, service availability, and travel time. A conditional logit model was used to analyse consumer preferences.
Key Findings:
Surveys were completed by 803 participants. Consumers placed the greatest value on services delivered by a GP or a pharmacist with prescribing rights similar to GPs. Respondents also discriminated between services based on cost, having same-day availability, and being provided by someone they know.
Conclusions:
Pharmacist prescribing services are likely to contribute to meeting healthcare demands. Services tailored to meet consumer preferences can increase uptake. Therefore, services should be designed to lower consumers' out-of-pocket expenses, provide early and flexible appointment times, and enhance consumer-provider rapport.
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