Factors that influence patient acceptance of clinical pharmacy services: A nationwide survey.

OBJECTIVE

Examine the factors that influence a patient's likelihood of participating in clinical pharmacy services so that pharmacists can use this knowledge to effectively expand clinical services.

METHODS

An online survey was distributed to U.S. citizens 55 years of age or older through a market research company. The survey assessed pharmacy and medication use, general health, interest in clinical pharmacy services, and general demographics. The specific clinical services examined included medication therapy management (MTM) and a collaborative practice agreement (CPA). Logistic regression and best-worst scaling were used to predict the likelihood of participating and determine the motivating factors to participate in clinical pharmacy services, respectively.

RESULTS

Two hundred eight (58.45%) respondents reported being likely to participate in MTM services, and 108 (50.6%) reported being likely to participate in the services offered by a pharmacist with a CPA, if offered. The motivations to participate in MTM were driven by pharmacist management of medication interactions and adverse effects (best-worst scores 0.62 and 0.51, respectively). The primary motivator to participate in a CPA was improved physician-pharmacist coordination (best-worst score 0.80). Those with a personal pharmacist were more likely to participate in MTM (odds ratio [OR] 2.43 [95% CI 1.41-4.22], P = 0.002) and a pharmacist CPA (2.08 [1.26-3.44], P = 0.004). Previous experience with MTM increased the likelihood of participating again in MTM (5.98 [95% CI 2.50-14.35], P < 0.001). Patient satisfaction with the pharmacy increased the likelihood of participating in a pharmacist CPA (1.47 [95% CI 1.01-2.13], P = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

Patients are interested in clinical pharmacy services for the purposes of medication interaction management, adverse effect management, and improved physician-pharmacist coordination. The factors that influenced the likelihood of participating included having a personal pharmacist, previous experience with MTM, and pharmacy satisfaction. These results suggest a potential impact of the patient-pharmacist relationship on patient participation in clinical services.