Pharmacist supply of non-prescription sildenafil in Norway: a simulated patient mixed-method study
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Pharmacist supply of non-prescription sildenafil was initiated in Norway in 2019, and continuous evaluation of the service is warranted.
OBJECTIVES: To map how the service checklist is used, evaluate the counselling and information given in consultations, get an insight into pharmacist assessments during consultations, and explore the pharmacists' experiences with the service.
METHODS: A mixed-method approach of simulated patient visits with feedback combined with qualitative interviews was used. One 24-year-old simulated patient visited pharmacies requesting sildenafil in a scenario that ended before purchase. Visits were audio-recorded and evaluated. Post-visit, pharmacists were invited to get feedback and participate in an audio-recorded interview. Visits, feedback, and interviews were transcribed and analysed by descriptive statistics and systematic text condensation.
KEY FINDINGS: Of 39 visits, 26 were analysed and 13 were excluded because the pharmacists did not give consent. Six (23%) pharmacists asked all the checklist questions, while 15 (58%) asked some of them. None of the pharmacists provided all the guideline counselling points. The counselling most provided was 'See your general practitioner within 6 months for a health check' (N = 7, 27%). Interviews (N = 19) elicited that pharmacists assessed the patients, with adaptations in the use of the checklist. Several barriers affecting the service were identified, including time pressure, pharmacist…
Read the paper
Related studies
- 2024 update in heart failure
- Vascular involvement in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
- A novel technique- subendometrial autologous platelet rich plasma injection in patients with unresponsive thin endometrium undergoing frozen-thawed embryo transfer: a prospective cohort study
- Does metformin prolong pregnancy in preterm pre-eclampsia? A study protocol for a South African, hospital-based double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial
- Combined Pulmonary Fibrosis and Emphysema (CPFE): A "New" Smoking-Related Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD)
- Impact of an acute 1-month cannabidiol treatment on pain and inflammation after a long bone fracture: a triple-blind randomised, placebo-controlled, clinical trial protocol
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.