| Abstract [eng] |
Master thesis: Can community pharmacists evaluate patients’ challenges while dealing with medicines in everyday life? Feasibility of the Lithuanian version of the 15 STARS questionnaire. Scientific supervisor dr. Ramune Jacobsen. Vilnius University, Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacy center, Vilnius 2024 Aim of the study: to investigate the feasibility of using the STARS-15 questionnaire as an instrument to improve medication adherence during a consultation in a community pharmacy. Tasks of the research: to assess the ability of community pharmacists to promote adherence of medications in pharmacies; to investigate the STARS-15 questionnaire as an instrument for monitoring medication adherence in patients purchasing prescription medicines in Lithuanian community pharmacies; to assess the potential of the STARS-15 instrument to serve as a tool for improving medication adherence from the perspective of community pharmacists. Methods: the study consisted of two interrelated parts: the use of an additional consultation element - 15-STARS - by the pharmacist in the consultation of patients who come to a community pharmacy to purchase medicines prescribed by a doctor for the treatment of AH and/or type II diabetes; a qualitative focus group interview meeting with the pharmacists who administered the 15-STARS questionnaire and carried out the consultation, according to the free-format, semi-structured interview guidelines. The content analysis was based on deductive thematic analysis. The themes are based on the research aim and questions. The period of the 15 – STARS questionnaire testing was from 1 February to 15 March 2024. Study sample: a non-probabilistic approach to selecting the sample was used - purposive sampling. A total of 6 pharmacists participated in the qualitative study and were interviewed. Patients were randomly selected by the participating pharmacists according to the criteria for an eligible patient. The pharmacists were able to interview 2 or 3 patients each, and a total of 14 patients were included in the STARS - 15 questionnaire testing as a tool. Results: the results of the study showed that all pharmacists in the study perceived their work as important and adding value in maintaining and promoting good medication adhernce. Analysis of the focus group interviews revealed that patients' attitudes towards such a tool in the study varied - some were interested in the study and engaged out of curiosity, others were put off by this additional element of the consultation. The analysis of the results showed that the 15-STARS tool did not require additional time resources. The analysis of the responses showed that all pharmacists saw mutual benefits in using the 15-STARS questionnaire. The pharmacists who took part in the study welcomed the inclusion of 15-STARS as a tool in the pharmacist's consultation, seeing the potential benefits, but highlighted that an adjusted presentation to the patient (passive access to the questionnaire by the respondent) would solve the psychological barriers for the patient. Conclusions: 1. According to the results, pharmacists are positive about their ability to promote the adherence to medicines for patients presenting to community pharmacies with prescription medicines for hypertension and/or type II diabetes mellitus. 2. The study showed that the 15-STARS questionnaire can be used as an additional element of the consultation to monitor adherence to the medication regimen in the community pharmacy. The use of the 15-STARS questionnaire does not impose a significantly higher burden on pharmacists. 3. The 15-STARS questionnaire is a potential tool in community pharmacy, with the benefit of considering optimisation of the presentation to the patient, reducing discomfort for the patient and the pharmacist, and reducing the negative emotions when the patient decline the offer of participation in the survey. |
