Pharmacy counselling models: a means to improve drug use.
OBJECTIVE
Failure to achieve the intended benefit of medical treatment is recognized as an immense problem. The study objective was to examine the usefulness of counselling models containing key questions to facilitate the identification of drug-related problems (DRPs), and to follow up on both pharmacy practitioner and patient experiences.


METHODS
Fifty-one pharmacies in Sweden were recruited, along with matching controls. Patients of six therapeutic groups were selected for the counselling model intervention. DRPs were documented in the Swedish DRP database. A telephone follow-up with the patients and a questionnaire survey with the pharmacy practitioners were conducted. An additional follow-up was made in patients sending a representative to pick up their prescribed medications at the pharmacy.


CONCLUSIONS
In all, 880 DRPs were documented in patients with 8100 prescriptions (10·9%). The DRP documentation rates in study pharmacies were, in general, superior to the control pharmacy rates. DRPs were identified in 24·8% of the non-steroidal anti-inflammation drug (NSAID) patients using a representative to pick up their medications, compared with 9·2% in patients visiting the pharmacy themselves. Of the patients who took part in the follow-up, 94% said that they received suggestions on problem resolution, and twice as many DRPs were reported resolved vs. unresolved. Most patients and pharmacy practitioners were pleased with the new practice.


CONCLUSIONS
The practice of counselling models appears to be a means to improve drug use. More DRPs were found in patients sending a representative to pick up their medications than in patients visiting the pharmacy themselves.
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Apoteket Vita Tigern, Eskilstuna, Sweden.
Brånstad
J-O
JO
Westerlund
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D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D004346:Drug Information Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden
D055553:Prescription Drugs