ArticleExploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy2025
A qualitative non-participant observational study of non-prescription counseling in community pharmacies.
Article in Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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6 authors.
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Abstract
Background: The global rise in self-care and non-prescription product sales allows more people to self-treat minor ailments, and pharmacies have a key role in guiding this use. However, discrepancies between counseling standards and practice suggest a gap in ensuring safe and informed self-medication, necessitating exploration and understanding. Objectives: This study investigates counseling on all non-prescription products in pharmacies, with the following objectives: 1) assess compliance with The Norwegian OTC Counseling Standard (the Standard), 2) identify factors predicting standard compliance, and 3) describe the content of non-prescription counseling. Methods: A non-participant observation study ( Results: Full compliance with the standard was 14.6 %; however, ∼40 % of product inquiries did not meet the requirements. Busier pharmacies showed higher standard compliance compared to quieter, and counseling starting at the shelves was more comprehensive. Moreover, pharmacists were likelier than pharmacy technicians to provide information about OTC products ( Conclusion: The study found infrequent compliance with the standard, with information often being generic and not tailored to customer needs. OTCs have lower standard compliance than other products sold in pharmacies. Further efforts need to be made to improve counseling, including revising the standard focusing on communication skill promotion and expanding to consider all health-related products in the self-care section. This could improve self-treatment and reduce the burden on other healthcare providers.
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