title: Can pharmacy assistants play a greater role in public health programs in community pharmacies? Lessons from a chlamydia screening study in Canberra, Australia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about the engagement of pharmacy assistants (PA) in public health service provision.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the experiences of PA participating in a study to determine whether a cash reward, offered to consumers and pharmacy businesses, increased participation in community pharmacy-based chlamydia screening.
  
  
  METHODS
  PA experience of the study education and training package, participant recruitment and conducting screening (providing information about chlamydia, specimen collection and handling urine samples) were evaluated using knowledge assessment, a questionnaire and focus groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty PA participated in the study: 15 (75%) completed all education and training components, 20 (100%) completed the questionnaire and 10 (50%) attended a focus group. PA rated all education and training components as effective (mean visual analog scale scores >8.5). Most PA (13/18, 72.2%) did not support/were unsure about continuing the program, citing the 25% repeat testing rate (presumed to relate to the cash reward) and privacy/confidentiality issues as reasons. Qualitative analysis suggested that minimizing repeat testing, improved workload management and recognition of, and remuneration for, education and training would make this model more acceptable to PA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings from this study support the assertion that PA can play a significant role in public health initiatives.
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2601, Australia; Academic Unit of Internal Medicine, The Australian National University Medical School, Building 4, Level 2, Canberra Hospital, P.O. Box 11, Woden, ACT 2606, Australia. Electronic address: louise.deeks@canberra.edu.au.
authors.forename: Louise S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Deeks
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2601, Australia.
authors.forename: Gabrielle M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Internal Medicine, The Australian National University Medical School, Building 4, Level 2, Canberra Hospital, P.O. Box 11, Woden, ACT 2606, Australia.
authors.forename: Marian J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Currie
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Internal Medicine, The Australian National University Medical School, Building 4, Level 2, Canberra Hospital, P.O. Box 11, Woden, ACT 2606, Australia; Canberra Sexual Health Centre, Canberra Hospital, P.O. Box 11, Woden, ACT 2606, Australia.
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research and Action in Public Health, Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT 2601 Australia.
authors.forename: Rhian M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.affiliation: Canberra Sexual Health Centre, Canberra Hospital, P.O. Box 11, Woden, ACT 2606, Australia.
authors.forename: Rendry
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Del Rosario
authors.affiliation: Centre for Women's Health, Gender and Society, Melbourne School of Population Health, University of Melbourne, Level 3/207 Bouverie Street, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia.
authors.forename: Jane S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Hocking
authors.affiliation: Academic Unit of Internal Medicine, The Australian National University Medical School, Building 4, Level 2, Canberra Hospital, P.O. Box 11, Woden, ACT 2606, Australia; Canberra Sexual Health Centre, Canberra Hospital, P.O. Box 11, Woden, ACT 2606, Australia.
authors.forename: Francis J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Bowden
mesh_terms: D020958:Australian Capital Territory; D002690:Chlamydia Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services; D017144:Focus Groups; D006266:Health Education; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Chlamydia infection; Mass screening; Pharmacy; Pharmacy assistants; Public health