The Development of a Community Pharmacy-Based Intervention to Optimize Patients’ Use of and Experience with Antidepressants: A Step-by-Step Demonstration of the Intervention Mapping Process

Abstract

Objective: To describe the development of a community pharmacy-based intervention aimed at optimizing experience and use of antidepressants (ADs) for patients with mood and anxiety disorders. Methods: Intervention Mapping (IM) was used for conducting needs assessment, formulating intervention objectives, selecting change methods and practical applications, designing the intervention, and planning intervention implementation. IM is based on a qualitative participatory approach and each step of the intervention development process was conducted through consultations with a pharmacists’ committee. Results: A needs assessment was informed by qualitative and quantitative studies conducted with leaders, pharmacists, and patients. Intervention objectives and change methods were selected to target factors influencing patients’ experience with and use of ADs. The intervention includes four brief consultations between the pharmacist and the patient: (1) provision of information (first AD claim); (2) management of side effects (15 days after first claim); (3) monitoring treatment efficacy (30-day renewal); (4) assessment of treatment persistence (2-month renewal, repeated every 6 months). A detailed implementation plan was also developed. Conclusion: IM provided a systematic and rigorous approach to the development of an intervention directly tied to empirical data on patients’ and pharmacists’ experiences and recommendations. The thorough description of this intervention may facilitate the development of new pharmacy-based interventions or the adaptation of this intervention to other illnesses and settings.

Men's views of antidepressant treatment for depression, and their implications for community pharmacy practice

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A training programme for community pharmacists to support people living with severe and persistent mental illness: Intervention mapping in the context of a pandemic

“…The training programme developed specifically for IG pharmacists is outlined, following the six steps of the IM framework as outlined by Bartholomew et al (1998) and applied in other pharmacy settings (Labonté et al, 2020; Sabater-Hernández et al, 2016; Santina et al, 2018; Wheeler et al, 2018). This included: (1) needs assessment; (2) identification of programme objectives; (3) selection of theory-based methods and practical applications; (4) programme development; (5) adoption and implementation plan; and (6) evaluation plan.…”

Qualitative Methods in Pharmacy Research

“…Santina et al [ 2 ] used qualitative research as part of a mapping process to design a community-based pharmacy intervention. The authors conducted three descriptive exploratory qualitative studies that included different stakeholders and different data collection methods (individual interviews and focus groups).…”

“…The authors conducted three descriptive exploratory qualitative studies that included different stakeholders and different data collection methods (individual interviews and focus groups). These data informed an Intervention Mapping (IM) process to design a community pharmacy-based intervention to optimise patients’ use of antidepressants [ 2 ]. This protocol outlined the steps involved in an IM process.…”