title: Factors influencing quality of patient interaction at community pharmacy drive-through and walk-in counselling areas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine factors influencing the amount of time and information pharmacy personnel provide to patients at drive-through and walk-in counselling areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  On-site observational data collection in 22 community pharmacies by pharmacy students. Information included observable patient characteristics such as gender, age range, English proficiency and mobility impairment; encounter characteristics included type of prescription and whether the patient was acknowledged; and counselling characteristics included types of counselling information conveyed and length of time for each encounter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patient-pharmacist encounters were documented at the drive-through and walk-in counselling areas 961 and 1098 times respectively. Pharmacists spent less time, and technicians more time, with patients at the drive-through counselling area. The amount of information provided to patients was significantly affected by whether the patient was receiving new versus refill prescriptions. Patients with a new prescription were twice as likely to receive more information from pharmacy personnel. There was a significant difference between the amount of counselling provided to patients at the drive-through and walk-in counselling area (rate ratio (RR) 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86-1.00). Patients at the drive-through received a lower amount of information relative to patients using the walk-in. Amount of information provided to patients was affected by the level of pharmacy busyness (RR 0.96, 95% CI: 0.95-0.99).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Providing patient care at the drive-through counselling area may negatively influence quality of patient care. To improve quality of pharmacy drive-through services, standardization of drive-through services in pharmacies may be needed.
authors.affiliation: Social and Administrative Sciences Division, School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
authors.forename: Olufunmilola K
authors.initials: OK
authors.lastname: Odukoya
authors.forename: Michelle A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Chui
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010596:Pharmacy Technicians / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Andersen behavioural model of health services utilization; community pharmacy; drive-through counselling areas; patient encounters