title: Health information, an area for competition in Swedish pharmacies.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the views and expectations of a selected group of customers regarding health information in Swedish pharmacies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A repeated cross sectional, questionnaire study carried out in 2004 and 2005. Customers buying calcium products answered questions on osteoporosis and general questions on health promotion and information.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Respondents had a positive attitude towards receiving health information from the pharmacies and towards the pharmacies' future role in health promotion. However, only 30% of the respondents expected to get information on general health issues from the pharmacy. In spite of this, 76% (2004) and 72% (2005) of the respondents believed that the pharmacies could influence people's willingness to improve their health.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a gap between the respondents' positive attitudes towards the Swedish pharmacies and their low expectations as regards the pharmacies' ability to provide health information. In the light of the upcoming change to the state monopoly on medicine sales, this gap could be an important area for competition between the actors in the new situation for medicine sales in Sweden.
authors.affiliation: Division of International Health (IHCAR), Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet . Stockholm ( Sweden ).
authors.forename: Elin C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.affiliation: Division of International Health (IHCAR), Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet . Stockholm ( Sweden ).
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Viberg
authors.affiliation: Division of International Health (IHCAR), Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet . Stockholm ( Sweden ).
authors.forename: Asa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vernby
authors.affiliation: Division of International Health (IHCAR), Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet . Stockholm ( Sweden ).
authors.forename: Johanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nordmark
authors.affiliation: Nordic Schoool of Public Health (NHV) and Apoteket AB. Division of International Health (IHCAR), Department of Public Health Sciences, Karolinska Institutet . Stockholm ( Sweden ).
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stålsby-Lundborg
keywords: Community Pharmacy Services; Health Promotion; Pharmacies; Sweden