Patient perspective of medication information desired and barriers to asking pharmacists questions.

OBJECTIVES

To identify information patients want from a community pharmacist with new and refill prescription dispensing, examine how this varies across certain patient characteristics, and identify perceived barriers to asking pharmacists' questions.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Six states (Wyoming, Colorado, Nebraska, Utah, Montana, and Arizona), from January 2006 to August 2008.

PARTICIPANTS

Convenience sample of 600 patients or caregivers at community pharmacies.

INTERVENTION

Brief, face-to-face, structured interviews.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Information desired by patients when receiving new and refill prescriptions and reasons why patients would not ask pharmacists medication-related questions.

RESULTS

Information most often desired at first medication dispensing was adverse effects (58.2%), basic instructions (32.6%), and drug interactions (31%). Less than 9% of patients stated no need for pharmacist-provided information or that written information sufficed. Younger (t = 4.81, P < 0.001) and more educated (X2 = 4.385, P = 0.036) patients were more likely to indicate a desire for adverse effect information than older or less educated patients. When asked about refills, nearly one-half reported wanting information beyond how many refills remain. Of patients, 15% wanted a review of information given when originally dispensed. A review of information was more often desired by patients with less than or equal to a high school education (X2 = 7.830, P < 0.01). Overall, information during refill dispensing was desired more often by those with less education (X2 = 4.786, P = 0.029).

CONCLUSION

These results support revisiting current pharmacy practice and practice laws about refill counseling and risk information provision, with greater potential implications for less educated individuals.