title: Pharmacists' views on and experiences with bowel cancer screening kits in Auckland, New Zealand.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the views of New Zealand pharmacists on bowel cancer screening, particularly with regards to faecal occult blood testing (FOBT) kits, self-perceived knowledge on FOBT kits and barriers, motivators and experiences with selling and counselling consumers with respect to FOBT kits.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured interviews were conducted face to face or by telephone with 20 community pharmacists in the Auckland region. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim and data were coded and analysed using NVivo software to identify key themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Participant pharmacists believed that they were well placed to provide advice on FOBT kits to consumers. Barriers to selling the kits included cost and perceived lack of test sensitivity of the kits, poor consumer demand, pharmacists' lack of training and information, and a belief that selling FOBT kits was outside the pharmacists' scope of practice. Motivators to selling the kits included customer convenience, ease of use, confidence in the kits and embracing new roles for pharmacists. Pharmacists were concerned that use of the kits may increase the burden on the public health system through customer anxiety over test results; however, they agreed that there was a need for bowel cancer screening and awareness and that people concerned about bowel cancer should make visiting their general practitioner a priority.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pharmacists' views were mixed. Pharmacists' training and competence with respect to the provision of bowel cancer kits, and how a bowel cancer screening service can be developed to optimise public health outcomes, need to be addressed.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Nataly
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: Kamlika
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Basdew
authors.forename: Ala
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kammona
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Caragh
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.forename: Timothy R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: McIntosh
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Barnes
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods; D003625:Data Collection; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D009780:Occult Blood; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D024382:Professional Role
keywords: barriers and motivators; bowel cancer screening; faecal occult blood test; pharmacists' perceptions