Pri-Med Institute Study Finds Pharmacists Play a Significant Role in Patient Care.

Business Editors/Health/Medical Writers

BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 21, 2004

Pharmacists throughout the US play an increasingly active role in patient care, advising both physicians and patients, a survey just released by The Pri-Med Institute reveals.

Prescribing

physicians rely increasingly on pharmacists for advice on medications, as well as monitoring prescriptions in terms of drug interactions, side effects and potential allergic reactions among individual patients, the study found. In hospitals, the selection of medications and dosages is being left to pharmacists with increasing frequency.

The Pri-Med Institute study surveyed more than 1,500 practicing pharmacists attending Pharm-Med Updates continuing medical education conferences in Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, Long Island, Boston and Chicago during 2003.

Pharmacists in retail drugstores report counseling an average of 105 patients per week on prescription drugs and 88 on over-the-counter medications. Retail pharmacists report that physicians often tell their patients to "contact the pharmacist" regarding their prescription medications.

Hospital pharmacists are also influential. Results from the study show that pharmacists intercept an average of one in every four prescriptions by contacting the prescribing physician and proposing a change. The reasons most frequently cited for changing a prescription are incorrect dosage, potential drug interactions and the listing of an alternative drug on the formulary of the patient's insurer.

More than three-quarters (80%) of hospital pharmacists report being contacted frequently by physicians for advice on patient medications, and nearly one-half are responsible for determining dosages.

"With an increasingly complex range of choices in pharmaceutical therapies and often small but important differences between drugs in the same therapeutic category, there is a clear trend toward growing reliance by doctors on the knowledge of pharmacists," Anne Goodrich, director of research at the Pri-Med Institute said. "We also know that patients view pharmacists as approachable and easy to talk to when seeking guidance on drugs."

"These are important trends that we expect will continue to expand the role of pharmacists in healthcare," she added. "New initiatives in chronic disease management and emphasis on patient compliance with drug therapies - attacking the widespread problem of too many prescriptions never filled or not renewed - will involve pharmacists in managing patient care."