Study: Pharmacists Trail Physicians, Internet in Credibility with Vasculitis Patients

Divisions Faculty Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy Research,

Grayson Mendenhall
December 4, 2012

Patients taking vasculitis medication see physicians and the Internet as more credible sources for medication information than pharmacists, according to a study by researchers at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.

The study, published online in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, reported the results of an online survey in which 58.6 percent of the 232 participants said they never talked to a pharmacist about their vasculitis medications. Participants also rated pharmacists as less credible than physicians and the Internet (see an infographic of the findings).

“Based on prior research, we expected that participants would consult pharmacists less often than physicians and the Internet for medication information, but what we didn’t anticipate was how little patients used pharmacists,” says Delesha Carpenter, PhD, MSPH, the study’s lead author and a research assistant professor in the School’s Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy.

“If pharmacies want patients with rare illnesses such as vasculitis to talk to pharmacists more often about medications, they need to make pharmacists more visible as knowledgeable sources of information about all aspects of medications, including how medications may affect patients on a personal level.”

The researchers were also surprised that participants saw the Internet as more credible than pharmacists, which went against the findings of previous studies. One possible explanation, Carpenter says, could be the fact that participants in this study reported visiting high-quality websites such as those for professional vasculitis organizations and hospitals.

“So it may be that they were going to sites where it’s easier to find trustworthy information,” Carpenter says. “However, the Internet is also rife with low-quality sites and inaccurate information that could negatively influence patients’ medication decisions.”

Study participants turned to physicians and the Internet more than pharmacists for general medication information, as well as information on research trials and drug effectiveness. They also used the Internet more than pharmacists for information on adverse effects and alternative medicines.

Participants did consult pharmacists more than the other two sources on how to take medications. The researchers suggested that this could be an opportunity for pharmacists to present themselves as a credible source.

“It could mean that a good time to approach patients may be when they are filling a new prescription,” Carpenter says. “This initial consultation might also encourage the patient to follow up with the pharmacist with future medication questions.”

Coauthors on the study were Susan J. Blalock, PhD, a professor at the School, and Robert F. DeVellis, PhD, a research professor at the UNC Thurston Arthritis Research Center.