Patient information requests across diverse community pharmacy practice settings

Community pharmacists often need patient health information such as laboratory results to provide safe care. However, access to this information varies by pharmacy setting. While health system outpatient pharmacists have access to electronic health records (EHRs), most independent and chain pharmacies rely on limited dispensing software data.

To characterize the frequency and characteristics of patient health information requests made by community pharmacists in independent and health system outpatient pharmacies during routine care delivery and to compare findings across different pharmacy settings.

This study used an electronic card study method to capture real-time data on pharmacists' patient information requests. Pharmacists recorded patient information requests over a two-week period. Data collected from independent and health system outpatient pharmacy settings were combined with existing chain community pharmacy data collected previously using the same methodology. Chi-square tests were used to compare categorical information request characteristics across pharmacy settings. Time spent obtaining information per request was compared using the Kruskal-Wallis test.

Seventeen pharmacists from independent and health system outpatient pharmacies participated. When combined with existing chain community pharmacy data, the analysis included 248 information requests across three pharmacy settings. Combined analysis demonstrated similar overall patterns across pharmacy settings, despite significant differences in certain information request characteristics. Prescriber offices were the primary source of information requests, medication orders or lists were the most frequently requested information, and most requests were to support prescription fulfillment and dispensing. Independent pharmacists spend a median of 10 minutes per request compared with 5 minutes in both chain and health system outpatient pharmacies.

Community pharmacists share common patient health information needs regardless of practice setting. Study results highlight the importance of improving bidirectional health information exchange.