Improving patient feedback about and outcomes with antidepressant treatment: a study in eight community pharmacies.
OBJECTIVE
To determine (1) whether telephone follow-up using a standardized telemonitoring tool can influence the nature and extent to which antidepressant users provide feedback to pharmacists, (2) whether patient characteristics are associated with the extent of patient feedback, and (3) how patient feedback affects subsequent outcomes after controlling for patient characteristics.


METHODS
Randomized, controlled, experimental design.


METHODS
Eight Wisconsin community pharmacies within a large managed care organization.


METHODS
60 patients presenting new antidepressant prescriptions.


METHODS
Three monthly telephone calls from pharmacists providing structured education and monitoring.


METHODS
Frequency of patient feedback to pharmacists, antidepressant knowledge, beliefs, percentage of missed doses, depression symptom scores, and perceptions of progress.


RESULTS
Compared with usual care patients (n=32), pharmacist-guided education and monitoring (PGEM) patients (n=28) provided significantly more feedback to pharmacists regarding different aspects of their antidepressant therapy even after controlling for patient characteristics. Regression results also showed that patient feedback was significantly associated with greater antidepressant knowledge, positive antidepressant beliefs, and perceptions of progress after 3 months. Patient feedback was unrelated to nonadherence and depressive symptoms.


CONCLUSIONS
Structured education and monitoring by pharmacists significantly improves the level of patient feedback to pharmacists, and such feedback may help pharmacists identify and address their patients' misconceptions, concerns, and progress with antidepressant therapy.
Rickles
Nathaniel M
NM
Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, Northeastern University, 206 Mugar Life Sciences Building, Boston, MA 02446, USA. n.rickles@neu.edu
Svarstad
Bonnie L
BL
Statz-Paynter
Jamie L
JL
Taylor
Leslie V
LV
Kobak
Kenneth A
KA
D000328:Adult; D000928:Antidepressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003142:Communication; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D003863:Depression / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D013689:Telephone; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000928:Antidepressive Agents