ArticleExploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy2026
Pharmacist-led responses to headache and insomnia symptoms: A simulated patient study.
Article in Exploratory research in clinical and social pharmacy, 2026. 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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Abstract
This study investigated the practices of community pharmacists regarding two minor ailments, headache and insomnia, using a simulated patient (SP) method in Karaj, Iran. A trained pharmacy student, acting as an SP, visited pharmacies presenting with complaints of either headache or insomnia. Each simulation consisted of three steps: in Step 1, the SP explained the symptoms and waited for the pharmacist's recommendations; in Step 2, the SP requested medications; and in Step 3, the SP insisted on obtaining prescription-only drugs. A total of 200 pharmacies were surveyed; 100 were assigned to the headache scenario and 100 to the insomnia scenario. In the headache scenario, which required a referral to a physician, the pharmacists asked 26.4% of the patient history questions and addressed 9.4% of the physician referral criteria. Only 29 pharmacists (29.0%) referred the SP to a physician/imaging. Male pharmacists dispensed more prescription-only medications than female pharmacists (
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