Effects of Telephone Counseling Intervention by Pharmacists (TelCIP) on Medication Adherence; Results of a Cluster Randomized Trial.

Objectives: To assess the effect of a pharmacist telephone counseling intervention on patients' medication adherence.

Design: Pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial.

Setting: 53 Community pharmacies in The Netherlands.

Understanding Statin Non-Adherence: Knowing Which Perceptions and Experiences Matter to Different Patients.

Background: Non-adherence to statins is substantial and is associated with numerous perceptions and experiences. However, time limits in clinical practice constrain in depth explorations of these perceptions and experiences.

Objectives: To propose and examine a strategy aimed at an efficient assessment of a wide array of perceptions and experiences regarding the efficacy, side effects, and practical problems of statins.

Patients' general satisfaction with telephone counseling by pharmacists and effects on satisfaction with information and beliefs about medicines: Results from a cluster randomized trial.

Objective: Assess effects of pharmacists' counseling by telephone on patients' satisfaction with counseling, satisfaction with information and beliefs about medicines for newly prescribed medicines.

Methods: A cluster randomized trial in Dutch community pharmacies. Patients ≥18 years were included when starting with antidepressants, bisphosphonates, RAS-inhibitors or statins.

Endocrine therapy for breast cancer: assessing an array of women's treatment experiences and perceptions, their perceived self-efficacy and nonadherence.

Background: Although adjuvant endocrine therapy effectively prevents breast cancer recurrence, nonadherence rates are substantial. We therefore examined associations of women's experiences and perceptions regarding the efficacy, side effects, and practical problems of endocrine therapy with nonadherence. Furthermore, we examined whether women's perceived self-efficacy moderated these associations.

Effects of a TELephone Counselling Intervention by Pharmacist (TelCIP) on medication adherence, patient beliefs and satisfaction with information for patients starting treatment: study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: Adherence to medication is often low. Pharmacists may improve adherence, but a one-size-fits-all approach will not work: different patients have different needs. Goal of the current study is to assess the effectiveness of a patient-tailored, telephone-based intervention by a pharmacist at the start of pharmacotherapy aimed at improving medication adherence, satisfaction with information and counselling and the beliefs about medicines.

Pharmacy Technicians' Attention to Problems With Opening Medicine Packaging.

Pharmacy technicians seem to be well equipped to engage in conversations with patients about their experiences and problems with medication, but it is unclear whether or not they systematically explain or demonstrate to patients how to use medication packaging. To explore to what extent pharmacy technicians identify problems with opening medicine packaging and how they assist patients in solving these problems. We conducted a cross-sectional study that comprised semistructured interviews, with 31 pharmacy technicians in 31 pharmacies, to assess the occurrence and type of difficulties with packagings and to suggest solutions.

Problems experienced by older people when opening medicine packaging.

Objective: Medicine packages can cause problems in daily practice, especially among older people. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of problems experienced by older people when opening medicine packaging and to investigate how patients manage these problems.

Methods: A convenience sample of 30 community pharmacies participated in this study.

Disentangling breast cancer patients' perceptions and experiences with regard to endocrine therapy: nature and relevance for non-adherence.

Background & Study Aims: Adjuvant endocrine therapy effectively prevents recurrence and progression of estrogen-receptor positive breast cancer. However, studies reveal substantial non-adherence. The objective was therefore to identify the nature of the experiences and beliefs of women treated with endocrine therapy in an attempt to find potential determinants of non-adherence.

Patients' satisfaction with information and experiences with counseling on cardiovascular medication received at the pharmacy.

Objective: To assess the extent to which patients feel they have received enough information on cardiovascular drugs and experienced counseling at the pharmacy. In addition, to identify factors that are predictors for patient satisfaction with the information received.

Methods: Fifteen community pharmacies participated.

The decision to continue or discontinue treatment: experiences and beliefs of users of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors in the initial months--a qualitative study.

Background: Little is known about patients' views on taking selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and their decision-making processes regarding either continuation or discontinuation within a few months of initiating therapy.

Objective: To explore the experiences and beliefs of SSRI users in relation to initiation and execution of treatment, with the intention to identify patterns leading to discontinuation or continuation of treatment.

Methods: Semistructured qualitative interview study.

Patients' perceptions and illness severity at start of antidepressant treatment in general practice.

Objectives: Patients' perceptions are important to consider when trying to understand why patients often do not follow prescriptions for antidepressant treatment. This study aimed to investigate the influence of patients' perceptions and illness severity at the start on antidepressant-medication-taking behaviour.

Methods: Eighteen community pharmacies in the Netherlands participated in this 6-month follow-up study.

Problems with medicine packages: experiences reported to a Dutch medicine reporting system.

Background: Practical issues such as ease of use and packaging appear to cause significant problems in daily use of medicines, but there are only few published studies about these aspects of medicine use.

Objective: To assess the type of experiences related to practical aspects of medicine use reported to an Internet-based medicine reporting system (www.meldpuntmedicijnen.

Patients' perceptions of information received at the start of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor treatment: implications for community pharmacy.

Background: Pharmacists are increasingly acknowledging their responsibility to inform and counsel patients. However, it is unclear how these tasks are implemented and whether patients' needs are being fulfilled.

Objective: To examine patients' perceptions of information received at the start of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment, aiming to identify (1) information needs and (2) the potential role of the community pharmacist as information provider.

Initiation of antidepressant therapy: do patients follow the GP's prescription?

Background: The question whether patients actually start drug taking after having received a first antidepressant prescription is often overlooked.

Aim: To determine the incidence of patients who do not fill or fill only a single antidepressant prescription at the pharmacy, and to identify associated patient characteristics.

Design Of Study: Retrospective study linking a general practice to a pharmacy dispensing database.

Does the length of the first antidepressant treatment episode influence risk and time to a second episode?

Antidepressant treatment in primary care is inconsistent with treatment recommendations, and many patients discontinue treatment within 6 months. How this affects treatment outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to assess how length of the first antidepressant episode influences risk and time to a second treatment episode within 5 years.

Characteristics and reasons associated with nonacceptance of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor treatment.

Background: Studies have shown that up to 38% of patients who start treatment with antidepressants fill only a single prescription at the pharmacy, apparently not accepting treatment.

Objective: To determine characteristics and reasons associated with nonacceptance of selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) treatment.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 37 community pharmacies in the Netherlands; patients who presented a prescription from a general practitioner (GP) for a newly started SSRI treatment were selected.