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Comparative Study
. 2009 Dec;55(12):e69-75.

Collaboration between family physicians and community pharmacists to enhance adherence to chronic medications: opinions of Saskatchewan family physicians

Tessa Laubscher  1 , Charity Evans, Dave Blackburn, Jeff Taylor, Shari McKay
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Collaboration between family physicians and community pharmacists to enhance adherence to chronic medications: opinions of Saskatchewan family physicians

Tessa Laubscher et al. Can Fam Physician. 2009 Dec.

Abstract
in English, French

Objective: To ascertain the opinions of family physicians about medication adherence in patients with chronic diseases and the role of community pharmacists in improving adherence to chronic medications, as well as their opinions on increased collaboration with pharmacists to enhance medication adherence.

Design: A self-administered postal survey of 19 questions, with opinions collected by ordinal (5-point Likert scale) and open responses.

Setting: Saskatchewan.

Participants: Two hundred and eighty-six family physicians working in Saskatchewan in January 2008.

Main outcome measures: Descriptive statistics of physicians' opinions on the following: medication adherence in patients with chronic diseases; their current interaction with community pharmacists; and potential collaborative strategies to promote medication adherence.

Results: The response rate was 39.4%. Approximately 75% of the physicians acknowledged that nonadherence to chronic medications was a problem among their patients. Medication costs and side effects were identified as the 2 most common reasons for medication nonadherence. Only one-quarter of physicians communicated regularly with community pharmacists about adherence issues; most of these physicians were rural physicians. Most physicians agreed that increased collaboration with pharmacists would improve adherence, although support for potential interactions with pharmacists varied. Concerns were expressed about time required by physicians and financial reimbursement. Physicians in practice for less than 10 years and those practising in rural areas were more willing to share clinical information and communicate with pharmacists to promote medication adherence.

Conclusion: Saskatchewan family physicians appreciate the importance of medication nonadherence but currently seldom interact with community pharmacists on this issue. They believe that pharmacists have a role in supporting patients with medication adherence and indicate a willingness to work more collaboratively with them to promote adherence. For this type of collaboration to be effective, it appears that increased adherence-related communication between the 2 health care providers and additional health care funding are required.

OBJECTIF: Vérifier l’opinion de médecins de famille sur la fidélité des malades chroniques à leur médication, sur le rôle des pharmaciens communautaires dans l’amélioration de la fidélité aux médicaments utilisés pour le traitement des maladies chroniques et sur la possibilité qu’une collaboration accrue avec les pharmaciens puisse puisse favoriser cette fidélité.

TYPE D’ÉTUDE: Enquête postale auto-administrée comportant 12 questions, les opinions étant recueillies sous forme de réponses ouvertes ou chiffrées (échelle de Likert à 5 points).

CONTEXTE: Saskatchewan.

PARTICIPANTS: Un total de 281 médecins de famille exerçant en Saskatchewan en janvier 2008.

PRINCIPAUX PARAMÈTRES ÉTUDIÉS: Statistiques descriptives de l’opinion des médecins sur la fidélité des malades chroniques à leur médication, sur leur interaction courante avec les pharmaciens communautaires et sur les stratégies de collaboration susceptibles de favoriser la fidélité aux médicaments prescrits.

RÉSULTATS: Le taux de réponse était de 39,4 %. Environ 75 % des médecins reconnaissaient que la fidélité aux médicaments utilisés pour le traitement des maladies chroniques était problématique chez leurs patients. Les 2 causes les plus fréquentes de non fidélité étaient le coût des médicaments et les effets indésirables. Seulement un quart des médecins communiquaient régulièrement avec des pharmaciens communautaires au sujet de problèmes de non-fidélité au traitement. La plupart des médecins estimaient qu’une meilleure collaboration avec les pharmaciens communautaires améliorerait la fidélité, quoique l’appui à l’égard d’éventuelles interactions avec les pharmaciens était variable. Les inquiétudes concernaient le temps exigé des médecins et le remboursement financier. Ceux qui avaient moins de 10 ans de pratique et ceux qui exerçaient en milieu rural étaient plus disposés à partager les informations cliniques et à communiquer avec les pharmaciens pour favoriser la fidélité.

CONCLUSION: Les médecins de la Saskatchewan sont conscients des problèmes de non-fidélité aux médicaments prescrits, mais en réalité, ils interagissent rarement avec les pharmaciens communautaires à ce sujet. Ils croient que les pharmaciens ont un rôle à jouer pour favoriser la fidélité des patients et se montrent disposés à collaborer davantage avec eux dans ce but. Pour que ce type de collaboration soit efficace, une meilleure communication médecins-pharmaciens et un financement additionnel de la part des services de santé paraîtraient nécessaires.

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