Management of common ailments requiring referral in the pharmacy: a mystery shopping intervention study

Abstract

Background Pharmacists can play a key role in managing ailments through their primary roles of supplying over-the-counter (non-prescription) medicines and advice-giving. It must be ensured that pharmacy staff practise in an evidence-based, guideline-compliant manner. To achieve this, mystery shopping can be used as an intervention to assess and train pharmacy staff. Objective To determine if repeated student pharmacist mystery shopping with immediate feedback affected the outcome of scenarios requiring referral to a medical practitioner. To determine what, if any, factors may influence whether referral occurred. Setting Thirteen community pharmacies across metropolitan Sydney, Australia. Methods Sixty-one student pharmacist mystery shoppers visited 13 community pharmacies across metropolitan Sydney once weekly over nine weeks between March-October 2015 to conduct audio-recorded mystery shopping visits with assigned scenarios (asthma, dyspepsia, diarrhoea). Students returned to the pharmacy immediately to provide staff members with feedback. Pharmacy staff were scored by mystery shoppers according to a standardised scoresheet. Score data and other characteristics, such as the assigned scenario, were analysed via correlation and logistic regression modelling. Main outcome measure Whether a student mystery shopper was appropriately referred to a medical practitioner based on the presenting symptoms. Results 158 visits were eligible for analysis. Referral to a medical practitioner was appropriately made in 66% of visits. The regression model provided an R2 value of 0.73; the questioning score of the interaction and if a pharmacist was involved in the interaction were significant predictor of appropriate outcome (p < 0.001 and p < 0.01 respectively). Statistically significant differences were found between median questioning and total scores of interactions involving a pharmacist compared to those that did not (p < 0.001). No statistically significant correlation was found between the number of visits and appropriate outcome (p > 0.05). Conclusions Mystery shopping with feedback did not improve pharmacy staff performance over time. Increased questioning and involvement of a pharmacist in the interaction were significant predictors of referral to a medical practitioner occurring.

Ability of Pharmacy Students, Pharmacists and Pharmacy Support Staff to Manage Childhood Fever via Simulation

“…28 Collins and colleagues also showed a correlation between appropriate referral to a medical practitioner and the number of questions asked. 29 What we did however observe is that in pharmacy scenarios that ended in inappropriate advice, the number of questions was two or less. Perhaps the variation seen in the lack of correlation suggests that for different scenarios there are key questions that must be asked, rather than perhaps all questions.…”

When Accessibility of Public Space Excludes. Shopping experience of people with vision impairments

“…City Space Architecture / UN-Habitat Mystery shopping is a form of participant observation where the researcher interacts with the research participants being observed and stems from the field of cultural anthropology (Miller, 1998). The method is widely used in marketing (Miller, 1998, Collins et al, 2017, Yaoyuneyong et al, 2018 research and offers a possibility to identify different factors in the service delivery process (Jacob et al, 2018, Liu, 2015 and their effect on natural conditions (Grove and Fisk, 1992). It allows to test whether disabled consumers are treated equally or are discriminated against (Morrall, 1994, Wiele et al, 2005, Eskytė, 2019 and to address discrepancies between real and reported consumer and seller behaviour (Friedrichs et al, 1975, Kehagias et al, 2011.…”

An assessment of counseling quality provided by community pharmacies to patients during expedition of pseudoephedrine

“…Jedną ze sprawdzonych metod oceny jakości usług w różnych obszarach, w tym związanych z ochroną zdrowia, są badania terenowe z wykorzystaniem metodologii tajemniczego/symulowanego pacjenta/klienta (tzw. mystery shopper/ mystery patient/simulated patient study) [15][16][17][18][19]. Jako tzw.…”

“…Doświadczenia z Australii wskazują, że implementacja takiego rozwiązania, tzw. protokół WHAT-STOP-GO (wchodzący w skład Australijskich Standardów dotyczących wydawania leków z aptek) powoduje, że ponad 60% konsultujących identyfikuje pacjenta i właściwie ocenia jego potrzeby lekowe [19]. Z uwagi na fakt, że w Polsce technicy farmaceutyczni i farmaceuci mają uprawnienia pozwalające im wydawać wszystkie preparaty dostępne bez recepty, wydaje się zasadne wdrożenie interwencji edukacyjnej kierowanej do obydwu grup zawodowych, dotyczącej potrzeby stosowania ww.…”