Drug Information Sources Used by Community Pharmacists in Louisiana: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Objective: There is a paucity of information in the literature regarding the type of reference sources that are used by community pharmacists to answer drug information questions. This survey was conducted to determine the frequency of use of selected drug information references by independent and chain pharmacists in Louisiana. Design: A study population of 15 percent of registered pharmacists was obtained by random stratification of all pharmacists on the mailing list of the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy on the basis of zip code and gender. These pharmacists were mailed an uncoded, pretested questionnaire and were asked to complete and return it if they were employed by an independent or chain pharmacy; nonchain and independent pharmacists were asked to return their questionnaires uncompleted. No follow-up was performed. Participants: Ninety-one independent pharmacists (mean age = 45 y; mean years of experience = 21) and 71 chain pharmacists (mean age = 40 y; mean years of experience = 16). Outcome Measures: The frequency of use of selected drug information reference sources by independent and chain pharmacists and the type of drug information questions received by pharmacists were determined. A Statistical Analysis System software program was used to analyze the data. Spearman's rank test was used to determine statistical differences between independent and chain pharmacists. The a priori level of significance was p≤0.05. Results: A 54 percent response rate was obtained. The frequency of usage of textbook references (Spearman's correlation coefficient [rho]=0.837), journals and periodicals (rho=0.937), and general reference sources (rho=0.943) were similar for independent and chain pharmacists. Drug Facts and Comparisons was the most frequently used reference source. The types of drug information requests that were received by both groups of pharmacists were similar (rho=0.90). Conclusions: Independent and chain pharmacists not only receive the same types of drug information questions but they also rely on the same references to answer such questions. Drug Facts and Comparisons was the most used drug information reference, suggesting that this reference is valuable for pharmacists, particularly community pharmacists.