PUBLISHER'S LETTER
APhA Survey Gives Insight Into the Impact of
Economic Downturn on Pharmacy Practice
The following is a recent opinion survey of pharmacists conducted by the American Pharmacists Association APhA) I thought you would be interested in reading about. The results of the survey are a real dilemma affecting all of us, whether professionally or personally — especially in these chaotic economic times.
According to APhA, nearly all the respondents said the economic downturn has had an impact on their community; a large majority said the downturn has had an impact on their practice; and two-thirds say the downturn has had an impact on their job.
More than half of the pharmacists believe patients have altered their adherence to their previous medication regimen (i.e. split tablets, skipped doses) or switched to a lower cost generic alternative due to the economic downturn. According to four in ten pharmacists, patients have also postponed medical procedures, stopped taking medicines, or turned to physician samples. One-third also believed patients have enrolled in a patient assistance program or switched to a different pharmacy.
Among pharmacist respondents to the survey:
u Chain pharmacists are the most likely to say patients have switched to a lower cost over-the-counter medication.
u Independent pharmacists are more likely than hospital pharmacists to believe patients have stopped taking medicines and are using complementary and alternative therapies.
u Hospital pharmacists are most likely to say patients have visited the ER more often.
u Rural pharmacists are most likely to believe patients switched to lower cost generic alternatives or turned to physician samples. They are also more likely than urban pharmacists to feel that patients have altered their adherence.
Medications improve treatment and reduce costs of chronic disease, but only when used correctly. The annual costs of drug-related illness and death in ambulatory care settings alone were estimated at more than $177 billion. Many of these costs can be prevented. The most common types of medication misuse include: taking the incorrect dose, missing doses and stopping medicine too soon.
Impact on the Pharmacy Profession
More than one-third of the pharmacists surveyed have spent more time with patients to help negotiate the costs of their prescriptions or find medications they can afford. Half have received pressure from management to decrease costs. Three in ten have also decreased staff or closed the pharmacy or seen a decrease in the number of patients or prescriptions.
About the Survey
The opinion survey was e-mailed to nearly 5,000 pharmacists by the APhA in February 2009 to better understand the impact of the current economy on pharmacists, their practice and patients. Overall, the survey received an 11 percent response rate with over 500 responses. The respondents were from a variety of practice settings; however nearly half were community pharmacists.
For further results from the survey, please go to www.pharmacist.com. For additional information on the economy’s impact on pharmacists and patients, please see the Economic Effects article in the March issue of Pharmacy Today.
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Until next time…..
