Effect of Therapeutic Class on Counseling in Community Pharmacies

2002 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 781-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsti K Vainio ◽  
Marja SA Airaksinen ◽  
Tarja T Hyykky ◽  
K Hannes Enlund

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect and importance of the therapeutic class of a drug as a determinant for verbal counseling by community pharmacists. METHODS: Direct external observations (n = 1431) of pharmacist—customer interactions at the point of delivery of prescription medicines were conducted in 7 community pharmacies in Finland. Trained observers noted whether the pharmacist provided information on directions for use, mode of action, and adverse effects. To examine factors associated with counseling, a multiple logistic regression analysis was constructed, with the dependent variable being counseling of any of the 3 observed topics. In addition to therapeutic class, other independent variables were the pharmacy; pharmacist's age, gender, and degree; and the customer's age, gender, previous use of medicine, and question asking. RESULTS: Provision of counseling differed significantly according to therapeutic classes. Counseling on any of the 3 observed topics was most likely to be provided for customers with antibiotics (80%) and least likely for customers with gynecologic preparations (18%). Differences between therapeutic classes remained statistically significant when the effects of the other variables were controlled for. Other significant predictors for any verbal counseling were the pharmacy, customer's previous use of the medicine, and question asking. CONCLUSIONS: Therapeutic class is an important variable that should be included in further studies and considered when comparing studies on patient counseling in community pharmacies.

Author(s):  
Heather M Santa ◽  
Samira G Amirova ◽  
Daniel J Ventricelli ◽  
George E Downs ◽  
Alexandra A Nowalk ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Opioid misuse and overdose deaths remain a public health concern in the United States. Pennsylvania has one of the highest rates of opioid overdose deaths in the country, with Philadelphia County’s being 3 times higher than the national average. Despite several multimodal interventions, including use of SBIRT (screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment) methods and naloxone distribution, the rate of overdose deaths remains high. Methods To gain insights on strategies for improving access to naloxone and naloxone distribution by pharmacists in Philadelphia County, a study was conducted in 11 community pharmacies (chain and independent) in Philadelphia. Twenty-four pharmacists were recruited and completed SBIRT and naloxone trainings. Each pharmacy elected to have at least 1 pharmacy champion who received additional training on and helped develop pharmacy site–specific naloxone dispensing protocols. Results Pre-post survey results showed a reduction in stigmatizing attitudes regarding naloxone dispensing and an increase in pharmacists’ understanding of the standing order and appropriate naloxone use. There was an increase in pharmacists’ self-reported confidence in their ability to appropriately identify, discuss, and dispense naloxone to patients. All pharmacies increased their average monthly dispensing rate following protocol implementation. Conclusion Pharmacists who received both trainings were more likely to change naloxone dispensing practices, leading to an overall increase in naloxone dispensing by community pharmacists. The study addressed overall gaps in pharmacists’ knowledge, reduced stigma, and prepared pharmacists to address opioid use and overdose prevention with their patients. The described pharmacist-led patient counseling and intervention service for overdose prevention may be explored as a model for other community pharmacies to adopt to improve naloxone dispensing and similar interventions to reduce overdose deaths.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adina Turcu-Stiolica ◽  
Maria Kamusheva ◽  
Maria Bogdan ◽  
Ivana Tadic ◽  
Klejda Harasani ◽  
...  

Community pharmacists expanded their roles and engaged in vaccination services in many countries around the world, but not in Balkan countries. This research aimed to assess the perceptions of pharmacists on involvement in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine administration in four Balkan countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia). A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire that was distributed to community pharmacists across these countries between February and March 2021. A total of 636 community pharmacists were included in the analysis of the survey. The willingness to administer vaccines for COVID-19 (or other vaccines well established in the practice, like a flu vaccine) in community pharmacies is significantly different among the countries: the pharmacists from Albania were more willing to administer vaccines. The factors associated with the eagerness to vaccinate are almost the same among the countries: the lack of training in the faculty classes and the lack of a special place where to administer vaccines. Additional significant factors were found in Bulgaria (pharmacists from independent pharmacies wanted more than the pharmacists working in chain pharmacies to administer vaccines) and in Serbia (male pharmacists agreed more with administering vaccines than female pharmacists). Further national reforms are needed for adopting the expanding role of community pharmacists.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 686-691
Author(s):  
Khanda Hamasalih ◽  
Walid Nitham

Background and objective: Community pharmacists play an important role in the best use of drugs and in improving patient outcomes. Evidence demonstrates that pharmacists' counseling improves the quality of life, clinical outcomes, and drug and disease knowledge and reduces the utilization of health services. This study aimed to investigate the nature and extent of counseling practices of community pharmacists in community pharmacies in Sulaimani region of Kurdistan, Iraq. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in community pharmacies in Sulaimani city, in a one-month duration from November to December 2020. The sample size was 100 community pharmacies, which were selected randomly. The data were stored and analyzed using Excel 2016 and expressed as frequencies and percentages. Results: According to the completed questionnaires, about 78.8% of pharmacists would do counseling spontaneously each time they dispense any drug. Only 61% of the pharmacists would ask the patients if they understood what was said during their communication to assess the understanding of advice given to their patients. The most common barrier observed during patient counseling was the patient's lack of time. Conclusion: This study indicates that community pharmacists counsel the patients in an appropriate way. They provide information orally and in written form. However, further research is needed to evaluate the quality of patient counseling by using different methods like pseudo-patient methodology to gain real counseling data. Keywords: Counselling; Community pharmacist; Community pharmacy; Counselling barriers.


2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 364-368
Author(s):  
David W. Seal ◽  
Je'Laune Walton ◽  
Sherifa Williams ◽  
Robert Wilson ◽  
Joshua Smith-Benson

Objective: To evaluate the provisions made by pharmacists when dispensing an emergency supply of an antihypertensive medication to patients in a community setting. Participants: Pharmacists and nonpharmacists (pharmacy technicians or interns) who were employed with community pharmacies and have witnessed or dispensed an emergency supply of an antihypertensive medication. Those who agreed to participate in this study via informed consent. Intervention: A short questionnaire was used to assess the provisions made by community pharmacists from the perspectives of both the pharmacists and the nonpharmacists. Main outcome measures: Availability of blood pressure machines, evaluation of blood pressure readings, and patient counseling sessions or assessments prior to dispensing the emergency supply of an antihypertensive were the major outcome measures. Results Among the participants, 92% of the pharmacists and 79% of the nonpharmacists reported they have witnessed or dispensed an emergency supply of an antihypertensive medication. Of those, 82% of the pharmacists and 78% of the nonpharmacists recognized there were blood pressure machines available. However, 78% of the pharmacists and 72% of the nonpharmacists acknowledged the patient’s blood pressure was not checked. Conclusion/Implication: This observational study demonstrates that provisions when dispensing an emergency supply of an antihypertensive medication are inconsistent. Further evaluation is warranted.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 153-164
Author(s):  
Rina Matsubara ◽  
Naoko Hikita ◽  
Megumi Haruna ◽  
Emi Sasagawa ◽  
Kaori Yonezawa ◽  
...  

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the factors associated with time spent performing housework/childcare by fathers of children under 12 years of age (preschool and elementary school children) in Japan. Methods: An online survey of employees and employers was conducted in 2017. Of the 7,796 total responses to the survey, those of 621 fathers of children aged 0–12 years were analyzed. Participants were divided into two groups: fathers of children aged 0–6 years, and fathers of children aged 7–12 years. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed on the items for which there was a significant intergroup difference, setting time spent performing housework as the dependent variable and the survey items as the independent variables. Results: For fathers of children aged 0–6 years, working 40 hours or less per week and commuting for one hour or less were associated with more time spent performing housework/childcare. For fathers of children aged 7–12 years, working less than 40 hours a week, working from home more than once a week, and having spouses with full-time jobs were associated with more time spent performing housework/childcare. Conclusion: This study revealed the factors associated with the time spent by fathers of children under 12 in performing housework/childcare. As several of these factors cannot be altered by the fathers’ efforts alone, companies and society in general must endeavor to improve work styles to better suit the habits and preferences of fathers. This will promote work–life balance and create better family relationships.


1993 ◽  
Vol 27 (10) ◽  
pp. 1173-1179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis W. Raisch

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether patient counseling activities in community pharmacies are related to payment method and practice setting. DESIGN: Randomly selected pharmacists voluntarily performed self-data collection (39 percent participation rate) of counseling activities for 40 hours. Observational data were also collected by trained observers. SETTING: Community pharmacies. RESULTS: Forty-seven pharmacists in national chain pharmacies and 26 in independent pharmacies collected data on 3766 counseling events. Patient counseling rates, defined as percentage of patients counseled per prescription per pharmacist, were significantly higher (p<0.05) for self-pay (median 12.9 percent) and Medicaid (median 13.0 percent) than for capitation patients (median 7.9 percent). Rates were somewhat higher (p=0.06) for chain (median 17.7 percent) than for independent pharmacists (10.7 percent). Although there was no difference in terms of pharmacist-initiated counseling, chain pharmacists had higher rates of patient-initiated counseling per prescription (median 4.3 percent) than independent pharmacists (median 2.7 percent) (p<0.01). Counseling information was related to payment method and practice setting. A significantly higher percentage (p<0.01) of counseling events for capitation patients pertained to chronic therapies (33.6 percent) compared with counseling events involving patients using other payment methods (21.8–24.8 percent). A strong correlation between observational data and self-reported data was found (Pearson r=0.696, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The finding that pharmacists counsel capitation patients less frequently may be attributable to financial incentives or to pharmacists' perception that these patients do not need to be counseled. Independent pharmacists' higher number of capitation patients and increased workloads may have affected their counseling activities. These findings have implications for pharmacy service reimbursement programs, practice conditions, and continuing education programs.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 2288
Author(s):  
Marja Airaksinen ◽  
Terhi Toivo ◽  
Lenita Jokinen ◽  
Eeva Savela ◽  
Stina Parkkamäki ◽  
...  

Finland’s community pharmacy system provides an example of a privately-owned regulated system being proactively developed by the profession and its stakeholders. Community pharmacists have a legal duty to promote safe and rational medicine use in outpatient care. The development of professionally oriented practice has been nationally coordinated since the 1990s with the support of a national steering group consisting of professional bodies, authorities, pharmacy schools and continuing education centers. The primary focus has been in patient counseling services and public health programs. The services have extended towards prospective medication risk management applying evidence-based tools, databases and digitalization. Research has been essential in informing progress by indicating high-risk patients, medications, practices and processes needing improvement. Despite the commitment of the profession and pharmacy owners, large-scale implementation of services has been challenging because of lack of remuneration, the pharmacy income still consisting primarily of sale of prescription and nonprescription medicines. Policy documents by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health have supported the extension of the community pharmacists’ role beyond traditional dispensing to promote rational pharmacotherapy. The current roadmap by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health emphasizes ensuring adequate regional availability and accessibility of medicines, regardless of the future pharmacy system. It also emphasizes the importance of strong regulation on pharmacy business operations and sale of medicines to ensure medication safety. At the same time, the roadmap requires that the regulation must enable implementation of new patient-oriented services and procedures, and further promote digitalization in service provision. Competition and balance of funding should be enhanced, e.g., through price competition, but the risk of pharmaceutical market concentration should be managed. The regulation should also consider influence of the new social and health care system on drug delivery. Year 2021 will be crucial for making long-term political decisions on the future direction of tasks and finances of Finnish community pharmacies in this framework. Government-funded studies are underway to guide decision making. Ongoing Covid-19 crisis has demonstrated the readiness of Finnish community pharmacies to adapt fast to meet the changing societal needs.


2017 ◽  
Vol 51 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine Cristina Marqueze ◽  
Ana Carolina B Nicola ◽  
Dag Hammarskjoeld M D Diniz ◽  
Frida Marina Fischer

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE Tto identify factors associated with unintentional sleep at work of airline pilots. METHODS This is a cross-sectional epidemiological study conducted with 1,235 Brazilian airline pilots, who work national or international flights. Data collection has been performed online. We carried out a bivariate and multiple logistic regression analysis, having as dependent variable unintentional sleep at work. The independent variables were related to biodemographic data, characteristics of the work, lifestyle, and aspects of sleep. RESULTS The prevalence of unintentional sleep while flying the airplane was 57.8%. The factors associated with unintentional sleep at work were: flying for more than 65 hours a month, frequent technical delays, greater need for recovery after work, work ability below optimal, insufficient sleep, and excessive sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS The occurrence of unintentional sleep at work of airline pilots is associated with factors related to the organization of the work and health.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danladi C Husaini ◽  
Yusuf Abubakar ◽  
Lydia Harris-Thurton ◽  
David D. Mphuthi

Aim: In Belize, antibiotics are categorized as prescription-only drugs, and their sales over the counter without a prescription is prohibited. This study assessed the sales and dispensing of antibiotics in community pharmacies without a prescription. Methods: 36 community pharmacies in 4 districts of Belize were assessed for non-prescription sales of antibiotics using a simulated client method (SCM) approach from September to November 2019. Results: The majority (19; 52.8%) of the community pharmacies assessed refused to sell antibiotics without a prescription from a physician. Approximately 17 (47.2%) sold and dispensed antibiotics to simulated clients (SCs) without a prescription. Adequate patient counseling was provided by the pharmacists to the SCs. Conclusion: Some level of lack of compliance with the sales of antibiotics without prescription was observed among community pharmacists in this study. There is a need to reinforce stricter control on the sales and dispensing of antibiotics without prescription in the country of Belize.


2017 ◽  
pp. 75-80
Author(s):  
Quoc Duong Doan ◽  
Thi Ha Vo

Background: Community pharmacists play an important role in counseling of rational drug use for population. The study aimed to characterize counselling activities of drug use and demand of counselling tools at some community pharmacies at Hue City. Materials and method: A 17-question survey were asked to fill pharmacy staffs of a convenient sample of 100 community pharmacies at Hue City from 2/2017 to 7/2017. Results: There were 58 pharmacies (58.0%) answered this survey. Cough, headache, fever, high blood pressure and diabetes were the most popular symptoms/diseases presented in pharmacies. Patients often need counselling about dose (82.8%) and when to take medicine (79.3%). The main bariers for counselling were a lack of time (53.4%), and of skills/medthods for counseling (31.7%). About 96.6% pharmacies demanded counselling tools and favorite formats were book (32.9%) or pocket handbook (29.3%). Conclusion: Most pharmacies demanded counselling tools. Other studies should be conducted to develop supporting tools for counseling and to assess the quality of counseling in pharmacies. Key words: community pharmacy, counseling of drug use, pharmacist, Hue


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