Contrasting community pharmacists’ self image in relation to patients with psychiatric and with cardiovascular disorders

Background/Objectives: Pharmacies are an important component of the primary health care system. Patients suffering from psychological problems contact them either to get advice or to fill in prescriptions for psychotropic medication. The number of prescriptions of psychotropic drugs has been constantly rising over the last two decades. However, little is known about what pharmacists think about their role in relation to patients with psychiatric disorders and the prescription of psychotropic drugs, and how their attitudes influence their work. The present study sets out to explore Austrian pharmacists’ self image in this respect.

Methods: After carrying out a pilot study with 32 community pharmacies in Austria, a questionnaire was constructed in cooperation with the Austrian Board of Pharmacists. The questionnaire contains four parts: (1) a shortened version of the „Toronto Community Pharmacists Questionnaire“ with 55 items (to be answered on a five point Likert Scale) on five topics: attitudes, level of comfort when counselling, barriers to providing professional services, counsellor role orientation, and professional interactions, mostly relating to their role in relation to patients with psychiatric disorders on the one hand, and with cardiovascular disease on the other hand; (2) an open questionnaire with four questions on the possible role of pharmacists in relation to patients with mental disorders; (3) the Link et al. Stigma and Discrimination Questionnaire; and (4) a sociodemographic part. The survey was carried out electronically via a website after the Austrian Pharmacists’ Association had asked its 1,252 community pharmacies to reply to this questionnaire.

Results: 125 pharmacists replied to the questionnaire in the foreseen time. The demographic characteristics of the respondents were not different from those who did not answer. For most questions the answers did not differ for psychiatric and cardiovascular patients, with some notable exceptions though. The most important exception was that pharmacists regarded themselves as less well trained concerning psychotropic medication if compared to cardiovascular medication, and consequently think they are better in counselling cardiovascular patients about medication side effects than psychiatric patients respectively. Also pharmacists think that psychiatrists do not inform their patients as well about psychotropic medication as cardiologists do about cardiovascular drugs.

Discussion/Conclusions: It became clear that Austrian pharmacists have a need for better information about psychotropic medication and need to improve their ability to counsel patients. This was also expressed in the qualitative part of the questionnaire. Obviously the ever rising number of prescriptions of psychotropic medication confronts pharmacists more often with the need to give competent advice. Therefore, the curricula of pharmacists should be improved and continuing education should be enhanced.

Funding: Support of the Austrian Board of Pharmacists.

Keywords: Knowledge transfer, attitudes, pharmacists.