title: How to attract them and keep them: the pharmacy attributes that matter to Australian residents with chronic conditions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the attributes of pharmacy choice for people with chronic conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured interviews were conducted between May and October 2012, across four regions in three Australian states. Purposive sampling was used to recruit participants with chronic conditions and unpaid carers. Interviews were analysed via the constant comparison method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-seven interviews were conducted. The majority of participants were regular patrons of one pharmacy and five attributes influenced this choice: patient-centred care, convenience, price, personal trait or preference and service/medication need. Patient-centred care, such as providing individualised medication counselling, continuity of care, development of relationships and respectful advice, emerged as an important attribute. There was minimal discussion as to choosing a pharmacy based on the provision of professional services, underscoring the limited consumer knowledge of such services and related standards of care.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patient-centred care is an important attribute of quality care as perceived by people who are regular community pharmacy users. These findings highlight the need for pharmacy staff to implement a patient-centred approach to care, thus meeting the perceived needs of their customers. A greater effort is also necessary to raise the profile of pharmacy as a healthcare destination.
authors.affiliation: School of Human Services and Social Work, Griffith University, Meadowbrook, Queensland, Australia.
authors.forename: Sara S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: McMillan
authors.forename: Adem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sav
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Michelle A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Whitty
authors.forename: Amanda J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Wheeler
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001315:Australia; D002755:Choice Behavior; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: chronic disease; community pharmacy; patient-centred care; pharmacists