Associations Between Patient Satisfaction with Pharmacist Services, Social Support, and Medication Adherence in...

Background/Objectives: Chronic dermatological conditions often require long-term treatment and can substantially impair quality of life. This study examined associations among satisfaction with pharmacist services, medication adherence, social support, and dermatology-related quality of life in adults with chronic skin disease. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of baseline data was conducted in 220 adults recruited from community pharmacies in Romania. Medication adherence was assessed using the dermatology-adapted Medication Adherence Report Scale-5 (MARS-5), dermatology-related quality of life using the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and satisfaction with pharmacist services using the Romanian Patient Satisfaction with Pharmacist Services Questionnaire 2.0 (PSPSQ-2). Analyses included correlations, multivariable regression, mediation, and subgroup analyses. Results: Participants were predominantly female (66.4%) and urban residents (65.5%); eczema, acne, and psoriasis were the most frequent diagnoses. Baseline scores indicated high adherence (MARS-5: 21.50 ± 4.19) and satisfaction (PSPSQ-2: 62.92 ± 9.57), alongside substantial quality-of-life impairment (DLQI: 11.12 ± 7.86). Higher satisfaction with pharmacist services was associated with better medication adherence in the primary adjusted model (B = 0.076, 95% CI: 0.017-0.135; p = 0.011). After inclusion of perceived social support, this association was attenuated (p = 0.053). Perceived social support was independently associated with adherence, and the explained variance increased from 13.3% to 28.0%. Conclusions: Higher satisfaction with pharmacist services was associated with better adherence, although this association was attenuated after perceived social support was included. These findings support considering the psychosocial context when designing and evaluating community-pharmacy adherence support.