Survey of inpatient counseling by hospital pharmacists

A survey was conducted to determine the inpatient-counseling practices of hospital pharmacists. A questionnaire about the frequency of inpatient counseling, barriers to counseling, and suggestions for increasing the level of inpatient counseling was mailed to 667 hospital pharmacists. Recipients were asked to rate six attitudinal statements about inpatient counseling. The response rate was 30%. The largest group of respondents worked in institutions where discharge counseling was provided to specific populations or as needed. Some 67% of respondents reported not counseling any patients. Barriers to counseling most often cited were lack of time and inadequate staff; facilitators most often cited were decentralization and resource availability. The most frequent suggestions for increasing the amount of counseling were making changes that provide more time, having adequate staff to provide counseling, and having a well-designed counseling program in place. Responses about barriers and facilitators varied with practice setting and frequency of counseling. On average, pharmacists reported a belief that they are the health care professionals most qualified to counsel inpatients about medications and that this is their responsibility. More than two thirds of the responding hospital pharmacists reported counseling no patients; the barrier to counseling most frequently reported was lack of time, and the facilitator most often reported was decentralization; on average, pharmacists reported that they believed they should have a role in inpatient counseling.