Physicians’ and patients’ valuation of pharmaceutical care implementation in Poznan (Poland) community pharmacies

Implementation of pharmaceutical care (PC) in Poland is of great importance to patients, who, on the one hand, often follow complex pharmacological treatment regimens recommended by several physicians of different specialties, and, on the other, take up the decision on self-treatment due to availability of OTC medications. The aim of the present study was to assess the opinion of both patients and physicians about implementation of PC service in Polish community pharmacies. A cross sectional study was carried out from September 2009 to September 2010 by a pharmacist (author of the study) on the basis of an anonymous questionnaire, where demand of physicians (n = 104) and patients (n = 202) for implementation of PC in a community pharmacy was assessed. The study was planned to determine the relationship between implementation of PC, cost and time of this service and patients’ and physicians’ socio-economic information. Responding patients (85.64%) and physicians (76.92%) unanimously confirmed the need for implementation of PC. Most people convinced of the service implementation were 88.89% of physicians under the age of 35 and all the respondents were over 65 years of age (p = 0.027), just as 93.33% with service lesser than 5 years and 73.68% of respondents working a maximum of 20 years (p = 0.023). Mainly according to 90.00% of physicians with specialty in internal medicine and 92.59% of physicians of the group “Others” (p = 0.012), PC should be implemented in pharmacies. Women more frequently than men reckoned that appointments with a pharmacist should last up to 15 min (p = 0.012). According to 77.78% of the youngest physicians and 83.33% of the oldest ones, appointments should last from 5 to 15 min (p = 0.049), and a similar opinion was shared by 80.77% of physicians without specialty and 77.78% of physicians of the group “Others” (p = 0.0009). According to patients, the mean cost of the visit should be USD 7. Physicians most often assessed the mean cost of the appointment at USD 14. This study provides new data about implementation of PC in Poland. The increased patients’ and physicians’ willingness to benefit from this service provides pharmacists with opportunities to develop PC in community pharmacies.