title: Exploring consumer and pharmacist views on the professional role of the pharmacist with respect to natural health products: a study of focus groups.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Natural health products (NHPs) such as herbs, vitamins and homeopathic medicines, are currently available for sale in most Canadian pharmacies. However, most pharmacists report that they have limited knowledge about these products which have been regulated in Canada as a specific sub-category of drugs. In this paper, consumers' and practicing pharmacists' perceptions of pharmacists' professional responsibilities with respect to NHPs are examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 16 focus groups were conducted with consumers (n = 50) and pharmacists (n = 47) from four different cities across Canada (Vancouver, Edmonton, Toronto, and Halifax).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this paper, we illustrate the ways in which pharmacists' professional responsibilities are impacted by changing consumer needs. Many consumers in the study utilized a wide range of information resources that may or may not have included pharmacists. Nevertheless, the majority of consumers and pharmacists agreed that pharmacists should be knowledgeable about NHPs and felt that pharmacists should be able to manage drug-NHPs interactions as well as identify and evaluate the variety of information available to help consumers make informed decisions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This paper demonstrates that consumers' expectations and behaviour significantly impact pharmacists' perceptions of their professional responsibilities with respect to NHPs.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada. della.kwan@utoronto.ca
authors.forename: Della
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kwan
authors.forename: Heather S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Boon
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirschkorn
authors.forename: Sandy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Welsh
authors.forename: Tannis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Jurgens
authors.forename: Lynda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Eccott
authors.forename: Shirley
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Heschuk
authors.forename: Glenn G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Griener
authors.forename: Jillian C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cohen-Kohler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D004366:Nonprescription Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009864:Ontario; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D024382:Professional Role; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D004366:Nonprescription Drugs