title: Patient-provider interaction during medication encounters: A study in outpatient pharmacies in the Netherlands.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe communication between pharmacy staff and patients at the counter in outpatient pharmacies. Both content and communication style were investigated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pharmaceutical encounters in three outpatient pharmacies in the Netherlands were video-recorded. Videos were analyzed based on an observation protocol for the following information: content of encounter, initiator of a theme and pharmacy staff's communication style.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total, 119 encounters were recorded which concerned 42 first prescriptions, 16 first refill prescriptions and 61 follow-up refill prescriptions. During all encounters, discussion was mostly initiated by pharmacy staff (85%). In first prescription encounters topics most frequently discussed included instructions for use (83%) and dosage instructions (95%). In first refill encounters, patient experiences such as adverse effects (44%) and beneficial effects (38%) were regularly discussed in contrast to follow-up refills (7% and 5%). Patients' opinion on medication was hardly discussed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pharmacy staff in outpatient pharmacies generally provide practical information, less frequently they discuss patients' experiences and seldom discuss patients' perceptions and preferences about prescribed medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows there is room for improvement, as communication is still not according to professional guidelines. To implement professional guidelines successfully, it is necessary to identify underlying reasons for not following the guidelines.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: e.koster@uu.nl.
authors.forename: Ellen S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Koster
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marijke M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: van Meeteren
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Institute of Health Services Research (NIVEL), Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marloes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: van Dijk
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Sint Maartenskliniek, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Pharmacy, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Bart J F
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: van de Bemt
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, Research Group Process Innovations in Pharmaceutical Care, Hogeschool Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Zorggroep Almere, Outpatient Pharmacy "de Brug 24/7", Flevoziekenhuis, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Hendrikus T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Ensing
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marcel L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Bouvy
authors.affiliation: Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Lyda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Blom
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Institute of Health Services Research (NIVEL), Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Liset
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: van Dijk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003142:Communication; D003157:Community Pharmacy Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010358:Patient Participation; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000458:organization & administration*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D014741:Video Recording; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D055553:Prescription Drugs
keywords: Medication; Outpatient pharmacy; Patient–provider communication; Video observation