TY - JOUR
T1 - Evaluating Greek pharmacists’ attitudes and barriers regarding medicines adherence
AU - Petrou, Panagiotis
AU - Kelepouri, Panagiota
AU - Petrou, Christos
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Adherence constitutes an integral aspect of achieving consistently good clinical results. Understanding pharmacists’ perceptions and attitudes, along with existing barriers is essential on the roadmap of enhancing patient adherence. This constitutes the goal of this study. Methodology: A validated questionnaire was sent to a sample of 280 community pharmacists. Pharmacists were notified both by email and telephone. A response rate of 55% was achieved. Results: Most pharmacists agree that the identification of patients’ suboptimal adherence falls under their professional responsibility and they engage in activities to promote it. There is evidence to support that the most popular interventions were self-management and indirect methods. Specific tools were used to a lesser degree. Finally, the current study illustrated that the most commonly identified barriers were the preference of patients for physicians regarding adherence, lack of information from patients and lack of time. Conclusion: Although the important role of pharmacists in adherence is ascertained, significant discrepancies in the tools used to control and promote adherence among pharmacists were identified, and also in obstacles faced by themselves and their patients. The interventions should be more consistent and the notion of cooperation among health care professionals should be nurtured.
AB - Adherence constitutes an integral aspect of achieving consistently good clinical results. Understanding pharmacists’ perceptions and attitudes, along with existing barriers is essential on the roadmap of enhancing patient adherence. This constitutes the goal of this study. Methodology: A validated questionnaire was sent to a sample of 280 community pharmacists. Pharmacists were notified both by email and telephone. A response rate of 55% was achieved. Results: Most pharmacists agree that the identification of patients’ suboptimal adherence falls under their professional responsibility and they engage in activities to promote it. There is evidence to support that the most popular interventions were self-management and indirect methods. Specific tools were used to a lesser degree. Finally, the current study illustrated that the most commonly identified barriers were the preference of patients for physicians regarding adherence, lack of information from patients and lack of time. Conclusion: Although the important role of pharmacists in adherence is ascertained, significant discrepancies in the tools used to control and promote adherence among pharmacists were identified, and also in obstacles faced by themselves and their patients. The interventions should be more consistent and the notion of cooperation among health care professionals should be nurtured.
KW - adherence
KW - communicating with patients
KW - Community pharmacists
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85193849648&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/20523211.2024.2319746
DO - 10.1080/20523211.2024.2319746
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85193849648
SN - 2052-3211
VL - 17
JO - Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice
JF - Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice
IS - 1
M1 - 2319746
ER -