Comparison of Missouri and Kansas Community Pharmacists' Communication Performance

Abstract

Several State Boards of Pharmacy have regulations mandating pharmacists to acquire continuing education for relicensure and consult with patients when dispensing prescription medicines. The impact of such regulations on pharmacy practice was assessed in this study. Prior to the study, the Kansas Board of Pharmacy had enacted such regulations, whereas Missouri had not. Baseline product knowledge on nitroglycerin patches was assessed in 313 pharmacists. Then a single-blind study design using pseudopatient and pseudophysician interviewers was conducted to compare verbally communicated product knowledge and communication style between 40 Missouri and 20 Kansas pharmacists that were randomly selected from the pharmacist pool. Results of the interviewer evaluations were compared to the baseline. Pearson's r was used to establish correlation among variables studied.

Results indicated no significant difference in the pharmacy practice between Kansas and Missouri pharmacists. Also, no significant correlation between written and verbal product knowledge, and no difference between communication styles were found.

Keywords

Continuing education Pharmacist-patient communication Pharmacist-physician communication Mandatory consulation Pharmacy regulation Nitroglycerin patches

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

National Center for Health Services Research and Development Report of Task Force on the Pharmacist Clinical Role. J Am Pharm Assoc. 1971;11(9):482–485.

National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Survey of Pharmacy Law 1985–1986. Parkridge, IL: NABP, 1986:33.

Ross

Hogan

White

Godwin

. The effect of a mandatory patient counseling regulation on the counseling practices of pharmacy practitioners. Contemp Pharm Practice 1981;4(2):64–68.

Puckett

White

Mossberg

Matchett

. Pharmacist/patient counseling practices. Contemp Pharm Practice 1976;1(2):67–71.

Laden

. Verbal and written patient counseling practices among community pharmacists in three northeastern Kansas cities. Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas; 1984.

Barrett

. Pharmacist–patient communication skills: A comparison between Washington and Oregon Pharmacists. Seattle, WA: University of Washington; 1982.

Rosendahl

. Are you ready for another mandate? Drug Topics 1988;132(3):24–32.

Anonymous. Semivoluntary counseling begins for Texas pharmacists. Drug Topics 1988;132(18):27.

IMS America, Ltd. U.S. pharmaceutical market. In: Drug stores and hospitals, Vol. 1. Ambler, PA: IMS America, Ltd; 1985.

10.

Wartman

Horlock

Malitz

Palm

. Patient understanding and satisfaction as predictors of compliance. Med Care 1983;21(9): 888.

11.

Romankiewicz

Carlin

. Patient medication to improve compliance. Pharm Int. 1981;2(2):46–49.

12.

Hussar

. Patient noncompliance. J Am Pharm Assoc 1975;NS 15(4):183–190.

13.

Shimp

Ascione

Glazer

Atwood

. Potential medication-related problems in noninstitutionalized elderly. Drug Intell Clin Pharm. 1985;19:766–771.

14.

Svarstad Kimberlin

Berardo

. A comparison of patient education methods used in community pharmacies. J Pharm Market Manage. 1987;1(4):75–93.

15.

Crichton

Smith

. Pharmacists' counsel vital to patient compliance. Tomorrow's Pharm 1979;1:3.

16.

Halperin

. Challenge, opportunity, promise and risk: The pharmaceutical industry moving toward the 21st century. Drug Info J 1988;22:25–32.

17.

Cooper

Love

Raffoul

. Intential prescription nonadherance (noncompliance) by the elderly. J Am Geriatric Soc. 1982;30:329–333.

18.

Murray

Darnell

Weinberger

Martz

. Factors contributing to medication noncompliance in elderly public housing tenants. Drug Intell Clin Pharm. 1986;20:146–151.

19.

Anonymous. NCPIE develops strategies to combat elderly: Misuse of prescription drugs. Am Pharm. 1987;NS27(12):12–13.

20.

CBS consumer study finds need for drug information. Am Pharm. 1984;NS24(5):24.

21.

The Schering Report V. Pharmacists and physicians' attitudes and perceptions to two professions. Kenilworth, NJ: Schering Laboratories; 1983.

22.

The Schering Report VII.

What's right with pharmacy?

The pharmacist's growing influence in expanding OTC market. Kenilworth, NJ: Schering Laboratories; 1985.

23.

Polanski

. Environment for communication. Am Pharm. 1982;NS22(10):33–34.

24.

Baldwin

Richmond

McCrosky

Berger

. The quiet pharmacist. Am Pharm. 1982;22(10):536–539.

25.

Kimberlin

Berardo

. A comparison of patient education methods used in community pharmacies. J Pharm Market Manage. 1987;1(4):75–93.

26.

Improving patient compliance (2). Continuing education. Pharma J. 1987; August 1: 129–131.

27.

Crichton

Smith

Demanuel

. Patient recall of medication information. Drug Intell Clin Pharm. 1979;12:591–599.

28.

American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. The report of the Study Commission on Pharmacy. In: Pharmacist for the future. Ann Arbor, MI: Health Administration Press; 1975.