BACKGROUND: A protocol-based pharmaceutical care program (the PHARMACOP-protocol) focusing on patient counselling during prescription filling has shown to be effective in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, implementation of this protocol in daily practice has not yet been studied. OBJECTIVE: To describe current implementation level of the items included in the PHARMACOP-protocol in Belgian community pharmacies and to evaluate pharmacists' perspectives on the implementation of this protocol in daily practice. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2012, in randomly selected community pharmacies in Flanders. Pharmacists were questionned using structured interviews. RESULTS: 125 pharmacies were contacted and 80 managing pharmacists (64 %) participated. In >70 % of pharmacies, 4/7 protocol items for first prescriptions and 3/5 protocol items for follow-up prescriptions were already routinely implemented. For first and follow-up prescriptions, respectively 39 (49 %) and 34 pharmacists (43 %) stated they would need to spend at least 5 min extra to offer optimal patient counselling. Most mentioned barriers preventing protocol implementation included lack of time (80 %), no integration in pharmacy software (61 %) and too much administrative burden (58 %). CONCLUSION: Approximately 50 % of the PHARMACOP-protocol items are currently routinely provided in Belgian community pharmacies. Nearly all interviewed pharmacists are willing to implement the protocol fully or partially in daily practice.
BACKGROUND: A protocol-based pharmaceutical care program (the PHARMACOP-protocol) focusing on patient counselling during prescription filling has shown to be effective in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, implementation of this protocol in daily practice has not yet been studied. OBJECTIVE: To describe current implementation level of the items included in the PHARMACOP-protocol in Belgian community pharmacies and to evaluate pharmacists' perspectives on the implementation of this protocol in daily practice. METHOD: A cross-sectional study was conducted from April to June 2012, in randomly selected community pharmacies in Flanders. Pharmacists were questionned using structured interviews. RESULTS: 125 pharmacies were contacted and 80 managing pharmacists (64 %) participated. In >70 % of pharmacies, 4/7 protocol items for first prescriptions and 3/5 protocol items for follow-up prescriptions were already routinely implemented. For first and follow-up prescriptions, respectively 39 (49 %) and 34 pharmacists (43 %) stated they would need to spend at least 5 min extra to offer optimal patient counselling. Most mentioned barriers preventing protocol implementation included lack of time (80 %), no integration in pharmacy software (61 %) and too much administrative burden (58 %). CONCLUSION: Approximately 50 % of the PHARMACOP-protocol items are currently routinely provided in Belgian community pharmacies. Nearly all interviewed pharmacists are willing to implement the protocol fully or partially in daily practice.
Authors: Erik von Elm; Douglas G Altman; Matthias Egger; Stuart J Pocock; Peter C Gøtzsche; Jan P Vandenbroucke Journal: J Clin Epidemiol Date: 2008-04 Impact factor: 6.437
Authors: Eline Tommelein; Els Mehuys; Thierry Van Hees; Els Adriaens; Luc Van Bortel; Thierry Christiaens; Inge Van Tongelen; Jean-Paul Remon; Koen Boussery; Guy Brusselle Journal: Br J Clin Pharmacol Date: 2014-05 Impact factor: 4.335
Authors: Juha Markus Heikkilä; Stina Parkkamäki; Johanna Salimäki; Sari Westermarck; Marika Pohjanoksa-Mäntylä Journal: Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis Date: 2018-07-03