Abstract
Abstract
Objectives
The perceptions of community pharmacists and patients regarding a new pharmaceutical service implemented in Gipuzkoa (Spain) aimed at improving medication adherence, safety, and understanding of medicines under additional monitoring for patients with chronic diseases were assessed.
Methods
Twenty-seven community pharmacists and 145 patients in Gipuzkoa participated in the implementation of the new pharmacy service and self-administered questionnaires about their perceived satisfaction and overall evaluation were completed. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data.
Key findings
High satisfaction with the service was reported by both patients and pharmacists (mean patients’ satisfaction score = 8.9/10; percentage of patients that positively rated the attention received from pharmacists = 97.7%). Better understanding and use of their medications was reported by 88.5%, >60.7% of the patients showed improved adherence and 84.6% felt more informed about side effects, indicating the service’s positive effect on medication knowledge and safety. The service was rated 8.7/10 by pharmacists; they reported improvements in patient adherence, quality of life, and medication knowledge. Nearly, all pharmacists observed enhanced reporting of adverse drug reaction integration into daily practice, with the role of the ‘practice change facilitator’ being emphasized as vital for successful implementation.
Conclusions
The service was positively evaluated by community pharmacists and patients for enhancing medication management and patient outcomes. Expanding this service could lead to improvements in the quality of pharmaceutical care and patient safety from the stakeholders’ perspective. Future efforts should focus on refining training, support, and integration into routine healthcare practice to ensure sustained success.