Estudio cualitativo sobre las barreras y los factores facilitadores en la demanda de los Servicios Profesionales Farmacéuticos Asistenciales en las farmacias comunitarias españolas

INTRODUCTION Recent studies have revealed the benefits of Community Pharmacy Services (CPhS) on patients’ quality of life and health systems. These services are health activities provided by the community pharmacy (CP), to prevent disease and improve the health by playing an active role in optimising the use and outcome of treatments. However, in Spain there is a low percentage of community pharmacies that offer these services, except for dispensing, minor ailment service, measurements of clinical parameters, health education/information and compounding, which have been established in the profession for a long time. AIM Assess facilitators and barriers in the demand for CPhS by potential users of CP in Spain, from the product approach according to the Marketing Mix 4Ps: product, price, place and promotion. MATERIAL AND METHODS Exploratory, explanatory qualitative study based on grounded theory, by means of inductive analysis applied to semi-structured, individual and group interviews. RESULTS Barriers and facilitators are similar for all the CPhS analysed, with some exceptions. These barriers and facilitators are multifactorial, because they are linked to the pharmacy, the user, external factors, and the pharmacist. CONCLUSIONS Barriers in the demand for CPhS are poor adaptation to user needs, unintelligible names, lack of integration of CP in the health system, lack of knowledge about CPhS, its lack of dissemination and places where they are recommended, insufficient evidence of success and satisfaction in services perceived as similar performed outside the CP and habituation to free healthcare services. However, the facilitators that help increase the demand for CPhS are the attitude and aptitude of the pharmacist, the fair treatment of the patient, accessibility, closeness, comfort of the CP and the patient’s need to improve his health status and certification in the CPhS backed by a trusted healthcare entity.