Gap between pharmacists' and patients' perceptions of exchanges
Statins are handed over with little or no interaction, say patients |
A gap exists between pharmacists' perceptions and patients' accounts of how they interact when a first-time statin prescription is dispensed, according to research published in last month’s issue of the International
Journal of Pharmacy Practice (2006;14:255).
Researchers from the department of medicines management, Keele University,
interviewed 20 community pharmacists and 25 patients recruited from a
medical practice in the West Midlands. They found that most patients
reported little or no interaction when receiving either a first-time
or repeat statin prescription.
In contrast, most pharmacists reported that they were proactive in providing
information when issuing a first-time statin prescription. Their principal
focus was on how to take the statin and information on any possible side
effects. Some pharmacists also said that they gave lifestyle advice and
explained why it is important to reduce cholesterol. The pharmacists
reported only a brief transaction when a repeat prescription for a statin
was collected.
The pharmacists’ accounts did not indicate that they had any systematic
way of eliciting patients’ needs, and left the onus on the patient
to ask for further information, which this study shows patients taking
statins often do not do, say the researchers. They suggest that pharmacists
need to reflect on the ways in which they elicit and meet patients’ needs
for information and advice about medicines. |
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Pharmaceutical Journal
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