Int J Pharm Pract 2000;8:60-76

Centre for Practice and Policy, School of Pharmacy, University of London, 29/39 Brunswick Square, London, England WC1N 1AX
Felicity Smith, PhD, MRPharmS, senior lecturer in pharmacy practice
fsmith@cua.ulsop.ac.uk

Review articles

Health services research methods in pharmacy - Evaluation of pharmaceutical services: (2) Methods and measures

Numerous studies have been undertaken to evaluate pharmaceutical services. These include both the evaluation of existing practice and assessments of innovative services in both hospital and community settings. Evaluation requires employment of methods and measures to ensure that relevant data on the effects of a programme are obtained. To evaluate a service from different perspectives (eg, acceptability to health professionals or patients, uptake, clinical outcomes or resource implications), a number of methods may be required. The outcomes may also be wide-ranging. Measures must be selected which provide a true reflection of the extent to which these outcomes are, or are not, achieved. Designs and frameworks used in the evaluation of pharmacy services have been discussed previously,1 this paper reviews the methods and measures that have been employed.