Pharmacist self-reported antidepressant medication counseling.

OBJECTIVES

To identify the extent of pharmacists' self-reported antidepressant counseling (SRAC) and to identify factors that may affect pharmacists' decisions to provide antidepressant counseling.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

Alabama community pharmacies in 2011.

PARTICIPANTS

Full-time pharmacists from 600 community pharmacies.

INTERVENTION

Self-administered survey; three mail contacts with alternate electronic surveys were used.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Pharmacists' SRAC behavior and its relationship with pharmacists' illness perceptions of depression, self-efficacy, and organizational and environmental influences.

RESULTS

600 surveys were sent; 22 were undeliverable, 1 was partially completed (<80% questions answered), and 118 were completed (20.6% overall response rate). Pharmacists reported low rates of involvement in antidepressant counseling; 61% reported assessing patient knowledge and understanding of depression, and 36% discussed options for managing adverse effects with no more than a few patients. More than one-quarter (28.6%) never asked patients whether they had barriers to taking antidepressants. Pharmacists' perceptions regarding consequences, control/cure, and the episodic nature of depression, as well as their self-efficacy, had significant relationships ( P < 0.05) with pharmacists' involvement in antidepressant counseling.

CONCLUSION

Low rates of pharmacists' involvement in antidepressant counseling were reported. Pharmacists must become more involved in counseling patients about their antidepressant medications and overcoming barriers preventing greater involvement.