Consumers' views of community pharmacists and medicines: a study of views, expectations and uses of community pharmacists and medicines in a Scottish commuter town.

Vallis, Joan Margaret (1998). Consumers' views of community pharmacists and medicines: a study of views, expectations and uses of community pharmacists and medicines in a Scottish commuter town. PhD thesis The Open University.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21954/ou.ro.0000fecb

Abstract

Community pharmacists are at the centre of government plans for Primary Health Care with a new role as advisor and 'expert in medicines'. However, little is known about consumers' views and uses of community pharmacists, or of medicines. Research presented in this thesis aimed to explore these issues through 50 semi-structured qualitative interviews and through a postal questionnaire survey returned by 579 people. Both qualitative and quantitative data analysis focused on gender differences in participants' response.

Study participants expressed high regard for community pharmacists but low expectations of their therapeutic advisory role. Pharmacists' professional roles were valued although concern was expressed over their perceived competence in diagnosis and treatment and the suitability of their premises for these purposes. A distinction was made between consulting the pharmacist (as a health professional) and using the chemist (as a source of consumer goods). The main uses of community pharmacists were for collection of prescriptions and purchase of toiletries and proprietary medicines. Few reported having sought any advice recently, although would have considered doing so, particularly for advice about medicines. The women expressed higher expectations of community pharmacists and used them more than the men. The participants stored wide ranges of proprietary medicines in their homes and were familiar with these in relation to specific illnesses. The participants used the household medicines less than they reported storing them. The women were the main managers of household medicines and illnesses.

The findings provide some support for government and professional plans to promote the role of the community pharmacist as the expert in medicines, monitoring the sale of deregulated prescription medicines and advising on appropriate use of these. However, a lack of awareness of, and possible reservation about, these plans mean that a massive publicity campaign, with professional support, would be needed to successfully implement these plans.