Expectations and responsibilities regarding the sale of complementary medicines in pharmacies: perspectives of consumers and pharmacy support staff

Iyer, Priya; McFarland, Reanna; Caze, Adam La

doi:10.1111/ijpp.12315

Cited by 13 publications

(10 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Interestingly, only around half the respondents took scientific evidence of effectiveness as a sign that the product was effective. Instead, the most widely regarded means of determining a product's effectiveness was the individual's personal experience with the product, consistent with another study of CMs . This viewpoint was supported by the attitudes of respondents who had experienced an ineffective NPM.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…There was apparent tension between needing scientific evidence to establish whether a treatment works and the consumer's right to choose their own NPMs, regardless of evidence of efficacy. Unlike previous research, our survey respondents were less likely to agree that availability of NPMs in a pharmacy would imply that the medicine is both safe and effective. The value of purchasing a NPM from pharmacies was the availability of advice, with pharmacists considered similarly to doctors as reliable sources of information about medicine efficacy.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 78%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Pharmacists are a source of expert advice regarding medicines and are considered one of the most trustworthy professions . Consumers may implicitly assume that all products sold in pharmacies are safe and effective and that CMs stocked in pharmacies are more effective and/or safer than those stocked through other outlets . As pharmacists’ roles have evolved from dispensing to greater involvement in primary health care, the importance of pharmacy practice encompassing evidence‐based medicine (EBM) has been emphasised .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Australian studies examining consumers’ beliefs about NPMs sold in pharmacies and elsewhere have generally focused on CMs . Consumers reported that their use of CMs was appropriate, whilst acknowledging uncertainty regarding their therapeutic benefits .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

The role of evidence in consumer choice of non-prescription medicines

Bevan¹,

Ng²,

Cooper

et al. 2019

International Journal of Pharmacy Practice

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Objectives To identify factors influencing Australian consumer decision‐making and attitudes towards non‐prescription medicine (NPM) purchases, pharmacy's role in providing these medications and views around sources of evidence for effectiveness of these products. Methods Cross‐sectional survey of a general population sample of 1731 adults using an Australian online consumer panel stratified by gender, age and location (State/Territory). Beliefs about NPM purchases and evidence of their efficacy were assessed using a 5‐point Likert scale (strongly disagree‐strongly agree). Non‐parametric measures (Ridit analysis and Mann–Whitney U‐test) were used to explore associations between responses and previous experience with medicines. Key findings The most important factors when purchasing NPMs were effectiveness and safety. However, personal experience was the most common method of determining effectiveness. Most respondents believed buying NPMs in pharmacies gave access to advice, but were less likely to agree that pharmacies were associated with safe and effective treatments. Around half the respondents agreed that it is wrong to sell treatments lacking scientific evidence; many also agreed that it is up to consumers to decide what they want even without scientific evidence. Individuals experiencing an ineffective NPM were less likely to trust scientific evidence of efficacy as the sole source of effectiveness information; regular prescription medicine users often agreed that scientific evidence is needed to support effectiveness. Conclusions Consumers have conflicting views regarding the need for scientific evidence and the desire for patient autonomy in NPM purchases. This presents a challenge for pharmacists wishing to maintain professional obligations to provide evidence‐based treatments to consumers.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 78%