| Direct-to-consumer advertising: Australian pharmacists' experiences with non-prescription medicines. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 20405595 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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OBJECTIVE: Direct-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of over-the-counter or prescribed medicines is a highly controversial issue relating to public health care. Advocates highlight the advantages of DTCA in terms of patient awareness and autonomy. Opponents voice concerns about safety and patients' best interests. The views of physicians and consumers about DTCA have been widely investigated. There has been little research, however, in relation to pharmacists' experiences with DTCA and the impact of DTCA on pharmacy practice. The aim of this study was therefore to explore pharmacists' perceptions of DTCA in Australia and its impact on pharmacy practice. METHODS: A semi-structured in-depth interview was conducted with a purposive convenience sample of retail pharmacists in Sydney, Australia. Interviews were recorded, transcribed ad verbatim and continued until data saturation. Emerging themes were extracted and analysed according to the grounded theory approach. KEY FINDINGS: Pharmacists participating in this study reported concern about potential harm to patient health and well-being as a result of the influence of DTCA. DTCA was seen to impede pharmacists in the discharge of their fundamental ethical responsibilities, leading to a strong sense of disempowerment. Pharmacists' gate-keeping role was challenged by DTCA encouraging consumers to self-medicate and inducing a range of drug-seeking behaviours. Although pharmacists acknowledged that DTCA may have a role in promoting patient autonomy, in practice DTCA compromised their role in safeguarding consumers from inappropriate use of medicines. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted that the impact of DTCA is not restricted to prescription medicines, but extended also to over-the-counter, pharmacist-only and other pharmacy-related products. Pharmacists perceived that DTCA disempowered them, compromising their role in safeguarding the community from inappropriate medicine use. |
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Authors:
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Betty Chaar; Kenelm Kwong |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article |
Journal Detail:
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Title: The International journal of pharmacy practice Volume: 18 ISSN: 0961-7671 ISO Abbreviation: Int J Pharm Pract Publication Date: 2010 Feb |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2010-04-21 Completed Date: 2010-05-11 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 9204243 Medline TA: Int J Pharm Pract Country: England |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 43-50 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. b.chaar@pharm.usyd.edu.au |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Advertising as Topic
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methods* Attitude of Health Personnel Australia Community Pharmacy Services / economics Consumer Health Information / economics Female Humans Information Dissemination / methods* Male Nonprescription Drugs Professional Role / psychology |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
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0/Nonprescription Drugs |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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