Putting Patients First

A study into the pharmacy patronage choices made by patients with chronic conditions and their carers has provided an important insight into the likely successful pharmacies of the future.

The Griffith University study, which was funded out of the 5th Community Pharmacy Agreement’s Research and Development program, interviewed 97 Australians affected by one or more chronic conditions from varying backgrounds across four regions in three Australia states.

The relevance of this research is underlined by the fact that nearly all Australians aged 65 years and over report at least one long-term condition, with over 80 per cent reporting three or more long-term conditions.

The study, published in the International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, found that a patient-centred care approach was an important factor for patients with chronic conditions in deciding which pharmacy or pharmacies they would frequent.

It examined five likely determinants of pharmacy choice: patient-centred care; convenience; price; personal traits; and specific needs.

Importantly, the interviews that were conducted with patients and carers explored in some detail the key attributes of a patient-centred approach.

These attributes were:

• Individualised care where pharmacy staff ensure that a patient's individual needs are met, with a focus on the continuity of care and explaining 'why', along with tailored medication information.
• Empowering care where pharmacy staff are supportive and approachable, encouraging patients to ask questions and seek advice.
• Holistic care where pharmacy staff are genuinely concerned about the patient’s overall wellbeing and sufficiently knowledgeable to assist with any wider issues.
• Respectful care where pharmacy staff accept the patient's individual traits and their knowledge of their own conditions, and are not judgemental.

The study found that patient-centred does influence a patient's choice of pharmacy.

It also corroborated existing evidence that patients with chronic conditions place a high value on good interpersonal skills when choosing a preferred healthcare provider.

Friendly and caring staff with good interpersonal skills increase the level of patient trust in the health care provider. The study found that these humanistic traits are particularly important for patients with disabilities and from diverse cultural backgrounds, and can override other determining factors such as convenience.

Of course, patient-centred care is not a panacea for pharmacies. The research found that the majority of patients with chronic conditions also want a conveniently located pharmacy. Price is similarly important, especially for lower income earners, with survey respondents expressing frustration when they are charged varying prices in different pharmacies for the same medicines. Pharmacy choice can also be influenced by language and cultural background and the need to access specific services such as compounding.

Finally, the research found that there is an overall lack of patient awareness of the various professional services that are increasingly being provided by pharmacies. It concluded that there is a need to raise the profile of pharmacy as a healthcare destination.

This is a timely reminder for organisations like the Pharmacy Guild about the importance of more effectively emphasising and promoting the value of community pharmacy to decision makers, their influencers and the wider Australian public.

Source: www.guild.org.au/news-events/forefront/volume-3-number-42/putting-patients-first, David Quilty, Thursday, 30 October 2013