Comparison of pharmacist and public views and experiences of community pharmacy medicines-related services in England.
BACKGROUND
Services provided by community pharmacists designed to support people using medicines are increasing. In England, two national services exist: Medicine Use Reviews (MUR) and New Medicines Service (NMS). Very few studies have been conducted seeking views of the public, rather than service users, on willingness to use these services or expectations of these services, or determined whether views align with pharmacist perceptions.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the perceptions of pharmacists and the general public on medicines-related services, particularly MUR and NMS services.


METHODS
Two parallel surveys were conducted in one area of England: one involved the general public and was administered using a street survey, and the other was a postal survey of community pharmacists. Similar questionnaires were used, seeking views of services, awareness, reasons for using services, and perceived benefits.


RESULTS
Response rates were 47.2% (1,000/2,012 approached) for the public and 40.8% (341/836) for pharmacists. Few people had experienced a discussion in a private consultation room or were aware of the two formal services, although their willingness to use them was high. Pharmacists estimated time spent on service provision as 10 minutes for MUR and 12 minutes for NMS, which aligned with acceptability to both pharmacists and the public. Pharmacists underestimated the willingness of the public to wait for an informal discussion or to make appointments for formal services. Both pharmacists and the public had high expectations that services would be beneficial in terms of increasing knowledge and understanding, but public expectations and experiences of services helping to sort out problems fell well below pharmacists' perceptions. People who had experienced a pharmacy service had different perceptions of pharmacists.


CONCLUSIONS
Views differed regarding why people use services and key aspects of service delivery. For services to improve, the pharmacy profession needs a better awareness of what the public, especially those with potential to benefit from services, view as acceptable and desirable.
Medway School of Pharmacy, The Universities of Greenwich and Kent, Chatham Maritime, UK.
Ruth M
RM
Rodgers
Medway School of Pharmacy, The Universities of Greenwich and Kent, Chatham Maritime, UK.
Shivaun M
SM
Gammie
Medway School of Pharmacy, The Universities of Greenwich and Kent, Chatham Maritime, UK.
Ruey Leng
RL
Loo
Medway School of Pharmacy, The Universities of Greenwich and Kent, Chatham Maritime, UK.
Sarah A
SA
Corlett
Medway School of Pharmacy, The Universities of Greenwich and Kent, Chatham Maritime, UK.
Janet
J
Krska
community pharmacy; medicines-related services; pharmacist perceptions; public opinion
Patient Educ Couns. 2011 Jun;83(3):336-44
21621943
Ann Pharmacother. 2007 Dec;41(12):1962-70
17971403
Res Social Adm Pharm. 2013 Nov-Dec;9(6):863-75
23218552
Res Social Adm Pharm. 2010 Sep;6(3):185-95
20813332
Pharm World Sci. 2008 Oct;30(5):536-43
18288585
Res Social Adm Pharm. 2012 Nov-Dec;8(6):487-98
22381916
Patient Educ Couns. 2010 Aug;80(2):274-6
19963331
Int J Pharm Pract. 2010 Aug;18(4):202-8
20636671
Public Health. 2015 Jun;129(6):705-15
26008208
BMJ Open. 2014 Dec 08;4(12):e006587
25488098
Health Soc Care Community. 2008 Jul;16(4):363-9
18613912
Health Commun. 2005;17(1):41-56
15590341