Community pharmacist counseling in early pregnancy—Results from the SafeStart feasibility study

Abstract

Background Community pharmacists are available to counsel women in early pregnancy, but no studies have assessed the feasibility of such a service. Objective To test the feasibility of a pharmacist consultation in early pregnancy and to inform the design of a definitive trial. Setting Six community pharmacies in Norway from Oct. to Dec. 2017. Method We evaluated recruitment approaches and an automatic data preprocessing system (ADPS) to enroll, assign participants, and distribute questionnaires. Women (≥18 years) in early pregnancy were eligible for inclusion. Participants were assigned to a pharmacist consultation (intervention group) or standard care (control group). The intervention aimed to address each woman’s concerns and needs regarding medications and ailments in pregnancy, and was documented on a standard form. The women’s acceptability of the intervention was measured by a questionnaire. Main outcome measures Appropriate recruitment approaches, workflow of the ADPS, and women’s acceptability of the intervention. Results Of the 35 participants recruited, 19 were recruited through Facebook. The ADPS worked well. Treatment of nausea and vomiting (NVP) (10/11) and general information about medications (8/11) were frequently discussed during the consultations (n = 11). The women reported high satisfaction with the consultation. Having the option of telephone and follow-up consultations was important to the women. Conclusion It is feasible to provide community pharmacist consultations in early pregnancy. In a definitive study, the consultations should focus on NVP and general medication use and further explore social media as a recruiting tool. Both in-pharmacy and telephone consultations should be offered to deliver the intervention.

Perceptions of the Value of Clinical Pharmacy Medication Review for Women During Early Pregnancy

“…The CP service may not be implementable in nonintegrated outpatient practices, obstetric offices, or in a community pharmacy. While the SafeStart feasibility study in Norway found that it was feasible to provide community pharmacist consultations in early pregnancy, 22 our results may not be generalizable to community pharmacists in the United States.…”

“…consultation with a pharmacist was most useful when tailored to their needs and would recommend the consultation to other pregnant women. 22 The majority of the literature on prenatal care by pharmacists has focused on the pharmacist's role in medication management and education for pregnant women. 5,6,9,13,[23][24][25] Little has been reported on the value that pregnant women place on pharmacists or other health care practitioners who provide information on medication use before or during pregnancy.…”

The effect of a pharmacist consultation on pregnant women’s quality of life with a special focus on nausea and vomiting: an intervention study

“…Every other participant enrolled in the study was allocated to the intervention group. The ADPS has been described previously [13].…”

“…The study pharmacists received a study manual describing each part, with examples of relevant wording and questions. A consultation guide has previously been published [13]. In short, the introduction focused on getting to know the participant and setting the parameters for the consultation (content and time).…”

“…Prior studies have shown that between 46 and 77% of pregnant women need medication information [9] and that they trust healthcare providers, including pharmacists, to provide them with reliable information about medications in pregnancy [9,11,12]. A recent feasibility study showed that women report the need for general information about medications during pregnancy and treatment of pregnancy-related ailments [13]. Although healthcare providers are considered trusted information sources, up to 96% of pregnant women seek health information on the internet [14,15].…”