HEALTH SERVICE RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION ABSTRACTS
Please note: All posters will be displayed in
Salons 10-12.
FRIDAY, 10:15-11:00 AM
Faurot KR, Gaylord SA, Blalock S, McDermott J.
Dietary supplement education in the community pharmacy—the
pharmacist's perspective.
University of North Carolina faurot@med.unc.edu
The potential for interactions with drugs and
disease states is increasing with the rapid rise in dietary supplement
(DS) popularity. Pharmacists may be particularly well-suited to counsel
patients about DS use due to their background and proximity to sites
where DS are sold.
PURPOSE: Goals of the study included the comprehensive
evaluation of factors that might facilitate or hinder the ability of
community pharmacists to increase their counseling of patients regarding
DS use.
METHODS: A mixed-methodology approach included
a semi-structured telephone interview, a mailed paper questionnaire,
and a brief observation utilizing a purposive sampling strategy for
maximum variation. The interview elicited pharmacists' perceptions about
their ability to counsel patients both in general and with regard to
DS. NC pharmacists also reported availability of information resources
and their perceptions about DS regulation. All interviews were transcribed,
coded, and code segments compared with the assistance of ATLAS.ti software.
The questionnaire explored current DS counseling practices and self-efficacy
about discussing DS as well as baseline DS knowledge and personal use.
Observation consisted of a pharmacy visit to ascertain prominence of
DS sales, patient education materials, and availability of private consultation
areas. Descriptive statistics were examined.
RESULTS: The sampling strategy achieved the
desired variation in participant age (26-79 with a mean of 45), gender
(60% male, 40% female), practice setting (54% urban, 46% rural counties),
and type (69% chain, 31% independent). The 33 NC pharmacists interviewed
listed lack of knowledge and access to reliable information sources
about DS as the major impediments to DS counseling. No US-trained pharmacists
reported significant training in DS in pharmacy school and few had undertaken
intensive post-graduate DS coursework. Time constraints was also a significant
barrier. Chief facilitating factors were the pharmacists' desire to
respond intelligently to patients' questions and the perception that
DS counseling falls within their professional responsibility. On the
questionnaire (n = 28), the mean knowledge score was 67% (43-86). Over
80% of pharmacists had talked with patients about DS in the past 30
days though only 32% felt confident in responding to patients' questions.
Pharmacy visits revealed that all pharmacies carried DS and half had
prominent displays. No significant differences in initiating discussions
with patients about DS or in knowledge was noted by gender, age, setting,
or store type. Sampling strategy, circumscribed geographic area, and
missing data limit conclusions.
CONCLUSIONS: Consumer demands are driving pharmacists'
increased interest in DS in central NC. Educational interventions targeted
to the needs of community pharmacists could be effective in increasing
their DS counseling activities.
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