Health literacy among consumers in community pharmacy

Perceptions of pharmacy staff

Bibliographic Data

ID19508016
AuthorsTherese Kairuz (0000-0002-3311-187X, The University of Queensland), Therese E Kairuz (School of Pharmacy The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld Australia), Kim Bellamy (The University of Queensland), Kim M Bellamy (School of Pharmacy The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld Australia), Elisabeth Lord (School of Social Work and School of Public Health The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld Australia), Remo Ostini (0000-0002-3931-2701, Healthy Communities Research Centre The University of Queensland Ipswich Qld Australia), Lynne Emmerton (0000-0002-0806-6691, Curtin University), Lynne M Emmerton (School of Pharmacy Curtin Health Innovation Research Institute Curtin University Perth WA Australia)
Year2015
Volume18
Issue5
Pages1041-1051
Publication date2015-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHealth Expectations (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1369-6513 • E-ISSN: 1369-7625
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/hex.12077
PMID23710827
OpenAlexW2037680711
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited22

BACKGROUND: Low health literacy has important consequences for health status, medication adherence and use of health services. There is little insight from the perspective of pharmacy staff into how they identify the information needs of consumers and particularly the signals and risk factors of limited health literacy that they encounter in their day-to-day communication with consumers. OBJECTIVE: To investigate factors impacting on consumer health literacy, from the perspective of pharmacy staff. METHODS: The research comprised semi-structured interviews conducted in a convenience sample of pharmacies in the south-east region of Queensland, Australia. Eleven pharmacists and nine pharmacy assistants agreed to participate. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Initial coding of the anonymized transcripts was performed using NVivo(®). Codes were analysed into overarching themes and subthemes, which were then re-named and refined through consensus discussion. RESULTS: Three overarching themes were identified from the coding process: complexity of the health system, clarity of information, and dialogue among consumers and health-care professionals. Two of the themes were system related, namely the health system and pharmacy labels; the health literacy issues included lack of clarity, complexity and misunderstanding. The third theme was related to communication. CONCLUSIONS: Complexity of the health system, clarity of information and dialogue among consumers and health-care professionals were identified as factors associated with consumers' health literacy. We call for increased engagement between pharmacy staff and consumers with improved focus on areas of potential confusion, such as medicine labels and navigation of the health system, aiming to minimize negative consequences of limited health literacy and optimize patient health outcomes

Business · CLARITY · Focus group · Health care · Health communication · Health literacy · Literacy · Medical education · Political science · Public relations · Qualitative research · Sociology · Health Literacy and Information Accessibility · Medication Adherence and Compliance · Medicine · Nursing · Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes · Psychology · Marketing · Pharmacy

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