Barriers and Facilitators for Evidence-Based Self-Care Counselling in Community Pharmacy, a qualitative study

Abstract Background Community pharmacy is easily accessible for self-care advice, supported by self-care guidelines. Such guidelines were introduced in several countries, including the Netherlands, in the 1990s. Previous studies have shown room for improvement of self-care advice in daily pharmacy practice.AimTo map community pharmacists’ and pharmacy assistants’ views on their role in self-care advice and barriers and facilitators for providing evidence-based advice in the community pharmacy. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted face-to-face or online with pharmacists and assistants using a topic guide based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF). Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were deductively analysed to identify barriers and facilitators.ResultsIn total, 13 pharmacists and 12 assistants were interviewed to reach data saturation. Overall, important barriers were lacking ready knowledge, lacking cooperation with GPs, time-pressuring due to crowded waiting areas, prioritising the handling of prescribed medications, beliefs that WWHAM questions would always lead to correct advice and consumers’ trust in commercial drug information. Important facilitators were availability of guidelines, conversational, process and analytical skills, training and assessment and access to patient records.ConclusionPharmacists should strive for an optimal environment in the pharmacy for self-care advice, such as minimising environmental stressors and providing sufficient time for advice. In addition, they should arrange knowledge and skills training, assessing themselves and their team to improve the quality of self-care advice. Pharmacists should also improve cooperation with GPs and raise awareness of the importance of appropriate use of self-care products with consumers.