Use of alternative therapies and their impact on compliance: perceptions of community pharmacists in Texas.
OBJECTIVE
To assess community pharmacists' experiences with the use of alternative therapies by their patients with chronic illnesses.


METHODS
Mail survey.


METHODS
State of Texas.


METHODS
142 community independent and chain pharmacists.


METHODS
Pharmacists' recollections about patients' use of alternative therapies.


RESULTS
Pharmacists estimated that 17% of their patients with chronic illnesses used some form of alternative therapy. A majority (66.9%) indicated that they have patients who used some type of alternative therapy for chronic conditions and that a majority (59.7%) of these patients consulted with them regarding those therapies. However, in only 11.1% of these cases did pharmacists document alternative therapy use in patients' pharmacy records. Pharmacists reported that 25.9% of these patients who use alternative therapies for chronic conditions were not compliant with their prescribed medication regimen. One-third (33.1%) of respondents indicated they knew of no patients who used alternative therapies, and 35.9% had never asked.


CONCLUSIONS
Pharmacists need information on patients' use of alternative therapies for chronic illnesses to make valid therapy decisions and to monitor outcomes. Future research should identify actions that pharmacists take to address drug-related problems among alternative therapy users and assess the impact of these actions on drug therapy-related outcomes.
College of Pharmacy, University of Texas at Austin. cmbrown@mail.utexas.edu
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Brown
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D000529:Complementary Therapies / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013781:Texas