These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


Pubmed for Handhelds

PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed

  • Title: Medicine-related questions handled by community pharmacists: an exploratory study.
    Author: Rutter PM, Warren S, Rutter J.
    Journal: Int J Pharm Pract; 2009 Oct; 17(5):313-5. PubMed ID: 20214274.
    Abstract:
    OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to determine what type of medicine-related questions community pharmacists were asked and to ascertain whether responses given were appropriate. METHODS: All community pharmacists from three Primary Care Trusts were invited to participate in a week-long exploratory study. Piloted data-collection forms were self-completed. Data were analysed descriptively using Microsoft Excel and statistical tests conducted with Minitab. KEY FINDINGS: Sixty-six medicines-related questions were answered by participating pharmacists. The type of questions asked were varied and asked by patients, the general public and health care professionals. Most answers (over 80%) were assessed as being appropriate; only four questions raised concern with assessors that possible patient harm may have resulted. Almost half (42%) of the questions were answered without consultation to any reference source. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the small-scale nature of the study the findings show that community pharmacists provide a good-quality service that is easily accessible to all people. However, the failure to use reference sources may impact on pharmacists' ability to answer medicine-related questions fully.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]