Patient valuation of pharmacist services for self care with OTC medications.
OBJECTIVE
The objectives of this study were to determine whether patients would be willing to pay for pharmacist self-care services on proper use of over-the-counter medications. In addition, we examined whether patients' willingness to pay was associated with community pharmacy setting and patients' socio-economic factors.


METHODS
A self-administered questionnaire was handed out to patrons of community pharmacies in Arkansas, USA. The questionnaire contained question items related to patients' willingness to pay, community pharmacy setting, prescription drug insurance and socio-economic information. Patients' willingness to pay was measured using the checklist method.


CONCLUSIONS
A total of 262 questionnaires were completed. More than twice as many patients (51%) are now willing to pay for pharmacist services for patient self care than a decade ago. They were willing to pay about US5 dollars for a 5-min consultation. Willingness to pay was significantly associated with community pharmacy setting (chi-square, P = 0.030). Grocery/chain pharmacy patrons were more willing to pay than independent pharmacy patrons.


CONCLUSIONS
This increased patient willingness to pay, along with growing self-care markets, provides pharmacists with opportunities to develop self-care clinics or services.
Hong
S H
SH
College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA. hongsonghee@uams.edu
Spadaro
D
D
West
D
D
Tak
S H
SH
D000328:Adult; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000191:economics*; D005260:Female; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000191:economics; D006801:Humans; D019458:Insurance Coverage / Q000191:economics; D007356:Insurance, Pharmaceutical Services; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000191:economics*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012651:Self Medication / Q000191:economics*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
D004366:Nonprescription Drugs