Pharmacist attire and its impact on patient preference
17 Jun 2011-Pharmacy Practice (internet) (Centro de Investigaciones y Publicaciones Farmacéuticas)-Vol. 9, Iss: 2, pp 66-71
TL;DR: With the exception of approachability, patients indicated preference for pharmacist with the white coat regardless of community setting, and patient-pharmacist communication may not occur regardless of perceived knowledge and competency.
Abstract: Objective: To determine the influence of demographics on patient preferences for community pharmacist attire. Methods: A 10-item questionnaire was developed and administered to patients visiting a chain pharmacy or an independent pharmacy in the Birmingham, Alabama metropolitan area. Mann– Whitney was used to examine if statistical differences existed in chain versus independent pharmacy patient’s selections based on pharmacist attire. Results: A statistically significant difference in patient preference for pharmacist attire between the settings in regards to which pharmacist patients felt was more approachable was observed; 51.2% of chain pharmacy respondents compared to 30% of independent pharmacy respondents identified the pharmacist pair with business formal attire and white coat as more approachable. Differences in education was also apparent with 70% of respondents in the independent pharmacy setting reporting having a Bachelor’s degree or higher compared to 45% of respondents in the chain pharmacy setting. Conclusion: With the exception of approachability, patients indicated preference for pharmacist with the white coat regardless of community setting. Given the importance of patient-pharmacist communication for building successful patientpharmacist relationships, if patients do not perceive the pharmacists as approachable, communication and subsequent development of said relationships may not occur regardless of perceived knowledge and competency.
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TL;DR: A valid and reliable model of patients' image of the pharmacists related to their expectations and reactions to the pharmacist's role was developed and tested and revealed that patients' expectations of the pharmacists are heightened; in turn, these expectations were associated with reactions of patients.
Abstract: Background The roles of community pharmacists are evolving to include provision of expanded professional pharmacy services, thus leading to an increased interest in pharmacist–patient interactions. Role theory can be used to explain the interaction between this pair of individuals, by focusing on the roles performed by each one. Objective To develop and test a model that relates patients' image of the pharmacist to their expectations of pharmacist's role, and how this then influences patients' reactions toward the pharmacist's role. Methods A qualitative study was undertaken, and a questionnaire was created for the development of the model, based on role theory. The content, dimensions, validity and reliability of the questionnaire were pre-tested qualitatively and in a pilot mail survey. The reliability and validity of the proposed model were tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to explain relationships between dimensions of the final model. Results A final model was developed. CFA concluded that the model was valid and reliable (Goodness of Fit indices: χ 2 (109) = 227.662, P = 0.000, RMSEA = 0.05, SRMR = 0.05, GFI = 1.00, NNFI = 0.90, CFI = 0.92). SEM indicated that "perceived pharmacist image" was associated positively and significantly with both "professional expectations" (the standardized path coefficient of (H) = 0.719, P P P P P P Conclusions A valid and reliable model of patients' image of the pharmacist related to their expectations and reactions to the pharmacist's role was developed and tested. When the perceived image of the pharmacist is enhanced, patients' expectations of the pharmacist are heightened; in turn, these expectations were associated with reactions of patients.
20 citations
TL;DR: A relationship with a respectful, friendly, competent pharmacist represents important pharmacist-related attributes in the process of pharmacy selection, including cost, convenience, and wait times.
Abstract: Objective Patient selection of community pharmacy is based on a multitude of factors. With increasing competition and rapidly changing face of pharmacy, identification of these factors is critical for patient satisfaction and financial success. This systematic review summarizes patient preferences for different attributes of community pharmacy. Data sources Systematic review of peer-reviewed studies conducted on U.S. population, published from 2005 to 2018 in EBSCO, PubMed, and EMBASE, was conducted to identify attributes of community pharmacy that determine patient patronage. Study selection Studies conducted between 2005 and 2018 on U.S. population that examined attributes in choosing a pharmacy were eligible for this systematic review. Data extraction Data were independently extracted, assessed, and evaluated by 2 reviewers. Any disagreements were resolved by the third reviewer. Data obtained included year, setting, number of patients, data collection and evaluation methods, and relevant results and outcomes. Results Of the 713 papers identified, 10 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. Majority of the studies used surveys to examine key attributes that influence patients’ selection of a pharmacy. Pharmacist traits like friendly, helpful, trustworthy, professional, competent, caring, knowledgeable, responsive, and approachable are critical attributes that influence a patient’s selection of pharmacy. Convenience (i.e., location, hours of operation, wait time, stock availability) also influenced patients’ selection of pharmacy. Cost and contract with insurance were other important factors. Availability of auto-refills appeared consistently in the studies. Medication safety (detecting drug interactions) quality metrics also appeared high among patients’ preferences. Conclusion The results of this review found that a relationship with a respectful, friendly, competent pharmacist represents important pharmacist-related attributes in the process of pharmacy selection. Important pharmacy-related attributes include cost, convenience, and wait times. Availability of auto-refill service was also a frequently reported attribute in this review.
14 citations
TL;DR: Understanding patient perceptions regarding pharmacist’s attire and its influence on comfort, confidence, trust, and professionalism may provide guidance on ways to enhance the quality of the provider–patient relationship.
Abstract: The white coat has symbolized professionalism, while representing provider-patient fiduciary relationship. Although well described in the literature for physicians, few studies examine the impact of pharmacist attire on patients' opinions regarding professionalism and trust. Therefore, understanding patient perceptions regarding pharmacist's attire and its influence on comfort, confidence, trust, and professionalism may provide guidance on ways to enhance the quality of the provider-patient relationship. A 43-item Likert-type questionnaire was administered to 347 adults in a community pharmacy setting to determine preferences about the pharmacist's attire, accessories, and body art incorporating 8 photographs depicting a male pharmacist in various degrees of dress formality (ie, casual to professional). Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarize and analyze the data. Survey respondents reported it was desirable/strongly desirable that pharmacists be dressed in a shirt and tie, dress shoes, white coat, and name tag (mean 4.21-4.72), whereas they should not be dressed in jeans, casual shoes, or have visible body art (mean 2.17-2.78). Over 86% of the respondents felt that a pharmacist with a white coat instilled feelings of comfort, confidence, trust, and professionalism. In a community pharmacy setting, a pharmacist wearing a white coat appears to be the mainstay in displaying professionalism and inspiring trust in adult patients.
14 citations
Cites background from "Pharmacist attire and its impact on..."
...To date, this is the first study to assess the role of pharmacist attire on trust as well as the first to examine the contemporary (and increasingly common) issues of pharmacist tattoos and facial piercings in the community pharmacy setting.(21,22) Our findings among pharmacists complement and reinforce the existing literature specific to physicians, which indicate that nontraditional facial piercings have a negative effect on the patient perceptions of competency and trustworthiness....
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...However, patients in the independent community pharmacies believe formally dressed pharmacists wearing a white coat are less approachable compared to the patients at their chain community pharmacy counterparts.(21) In another study, patients perceived pharmacists in casual dress with a white coat less favorably, but it was still determined to be less important than the level of patient communication....
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04 Dec 2018
TL;DR: Although the compliance level of community pharmacies in Bhutan for storing and dispensing of medicines was found to be above 80%, there are several areas that need to be corrected to ensure full compliance.
Abstract: Introduction:Compliance of community pharmacies with the national medicines law for proper storage and dispensing of medicines is crucial for ensuring the quality and safety of medicines. Community...
4 citations
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TL;DR: The purpose of this study was to test a new measure of patient satisfaction by looking at the relationship among four dimensions of patient dissatisfaction with physician care (attention/ respect, dignity, respect, and attention/ respect).
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to test a new measure of patient satisfaction by looking at the relationship among four dimensions of patient satisfaction with physician care (attention/ respect, med...
30 citations
TL;DR: A before-and-after trial to test the hypothesis that Emergency Department patient satisfaction is unaffected by physician attire found that emergency physician attire does not affect patient satisfaction.
Abstract: Previous studies have suggested that Emergency Department (ED) patient satisfaction is unaffected by physician attire. We conducted a before-and-after trial to test this hypothesis. A convenience sample of ED patients was surveyed during a 2-week period. In the first week, emergency physicians wore white coats and formal attire. In the second week, the same physicians wore scrubs. Patients were asked to indicate on a 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) their ratings of physician appearance, satisfaction, and professionalism. The primary outcome was the difference in VAS scores between the two dress styles. There were 111 patients surveyed. There were no significant differences between patients' evaluation of appearance (Delta=-.68 mm VAS, 95% confidence interval [CI] -5.5 to 4.1), satisfaction (Delta=.83 mm VAS, 95% CI -3.0 to 4.6), or professionalism (Delta=-.46 mm VAS, 95% CI -3.6 to 2.6) between the two dress styles. Emergency physician attire does not affect patient satisfaction.
23 citations
TL;DR: The results showed that a modern version of the traditional nurse's uniform is acceptable to most patients, especially for 'tasks and procedures', and a less traditional and more 'normal' outfit was more acceptable.
Abstract: This qualitative study was designed to discover what patients think of the uniforms worn by nurses in general practice, and whether they make a difference to the interactions between a patient and nurse. The results showed that a modern version of the traditional nurse's uniform is acceptable to most patients, especially for 'tasks and procedures'. Patients saw this aspect of a nurse's work as a lower priority than providing help, information and advice in a readily accessible manner, and for this a less traditional and more 'normal' outfit was more acceptable.
12 citations
TL;DR: It is found that the level of the pharmacist's communication performance was the most important cue used by participants in their ratings of service encounter satisfaction, perceptions of overall service quality, and trust in the service provider.
Abstract: Objective To determine whether the attire of a pharmacist has any effect on how he is evaluated when a patient also considers the pharmacist's performance and to assess whether attire and performance interact to influence patients' evaluations. Design Randomized, cross-sectional, three-factor design. Setting Community pharmacy settings were portrayed. Participants 179 university staff members. Interventions Videos of pharmacist–patient interactions were encoded and placed on a Web site to be viewed by participants. Main Outcome Measures Service encounter satisfaction, perceptions of overall service quality, trust in the service provider, and behavioral intentions based on two levels of pharmacist communication performance (high or adequate), three levels of dress style (casual, business casual, formal), and two levels of white coat (wearing or not). Results Of the three independent variables, only communication performance was found to significantly influence the dependent variables. High communication performance resulted in higher satisfaction scores, higher perceptions of quality, higher levels of trust, and behavioral intention scores that reflected a greater willingness to use and recommend the pharmacist. Conclusion Style of dress or whether the pharmacist was wearing a white coat did not significantly influence participants' evaluations of the pharmacist in this study. Rather, the level of the pharmacist's communication performance was the most important cue used by participants in their ratings of service encounter satisfaction, perceptions of overall service quality, and trust in the service provider.
11 citations
Journal Article•
9 citations