title: Comparison of factors influencing patient choice of community pharmacy in Poland and in the UK, and identification of components of pharmaceutical care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several factors, which are components of pharmaceutical care, can influence a patient's choice of a community pharmacy store and contribute to frequent visits to the same pharmacy.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare factors that influence a patient's choice of pharmacy in Poland and in the UK, to identify which of them are components of pharmaceutical care, and to relate them to patient loyalty to the same pharmacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  A self-administered, anonymous questionnaire was distributed to clients visiting pharmacies in Poland and the UK January-August 2011. Comparisons were performed using chi-square tests and logistic regression. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 20.0.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 55.6% (n=417/750; 36 pharmacies) and 54.0% (n=405/750; 56 pharmacies) in Poland and in the UK, respectively. The most frequently reported factors, as defined by a percentage of responders, were in Poland: 1) location (84%); 2) professional and high-quality of service (82%); 3) good price of medicines (78%); and 4) promotions on medicines (66%). In the UK, the most commonly reported factors were: 1) professional and high quality of service (90%); 2) location (89%); 3) good advice received from the pharmacist (86%); and 4) option of discussing and consulting all health issues in a consultation room (80%). Good advice and an option of discussing personal concerns with a pharmacist are components of pharmaceutical care. Thirty-eight percent of patients in Poland and 61% in the UK declared visiting the same pharmacy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Components of pharmaceutical care are important factors influencing the patient's choice of pharmacy in the UK and, to a lesser degree, in Poland. Additionally, more patients in the UK than in Poland are committed to a single pharmacy. Therefore, implementing the full pharmaceutical care in Poland may contribute to an increase in patient loyalty and thus strengthen competitiveness of pharmacy businesses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Care, Medical University of Warsaw, Poland.
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Merks
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene, Bioanalysis and Environmental Studies, Medical University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland.
authors.forename: Justyna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaźmierczak
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Ashford and St Peter's Hospitals National Health Service Trust, Guildford Road, Chertsey, Surrey, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Aleksandra Elzbieta
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Olszewska
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kołtowska-Häggström
keywords: health care system; patient-reported outcomes (PRO); patient’s preferences; pharmaceutical care; pharmacy choice