Patient reactions to community pharmacies' roles: evidence from the Portuguese market

Francisco G Nunes, Janet E Anderson, Luis M Martins

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background
There is little knowledge about how patients perceive and react to the extended role of community pharmacies.

Aim
To develop a model describing the expanded role of Portuguese community pharmacies as comprising three roles – medicines supplier, advice provider and community health promoter – and two important patient reactions: satisfaction and loyalty.

Design
In 2010, 1200 face-to-face interviews were conducted with patients of community pharmacies in Portugal. A model comprising the three pharmacy roles and the two patient reactions was developed and tested using structural equation modelling.

Results
The results showed that the model was appropriate and that the roles of medicines supplier, advice provider and community health promoter were positively related to patients’ satisfaction and loyalty.

Conclusions
These results show that patients are aware of the different roles played by community pharmacies in Portugal. The data support the idea that the movement of Portuguese pharmacists’ extended role, framed within a global context where society sends expectations regarding the role of organizations in the community in which they operate, is producing positive results for both patients and pharmacists.
Original languageEnglish
Number of pages12
JournalHealth expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy
Early online date2014
DOIs
Publication statusE-pub ahead of print - 2014

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