Factors influencing quality of patient interaction at community pharmacy drive-through and walk-in counseling areas.

OBJECTIVE: To examine factors influencing the amount of time and information pharmacy personnel provide to patients at drive-through and walk-in counseling areas.

METHODS: On-site observational data collection in 22 community pharmacies by pharmacy students. Information included observable patient characteristics such as gender, age range, English proficiency and mobility impairment; encounter characteristics included type of prescription and whether the patient was acknowledged; and counseling characteristics included types of counseling information conveyed and length of time for each encounter.

KEY FINDINGS: Patient-pharmacist encounters were documented at the drive-through and walk-in counseling areas 961 and 1098 times respectively. Pharmacists spent less time, and technicians more time, with patients at the drive-through counseling area. The amount of information provided to patients was significantly affected by whether the patient was receiving new versus refill prescriptions. Patients with a new prescription were twice as likely to receive more information from pharmacy personnel. There was a significant difference between the amount of counseling provided to patients at the drive-through and walk-in counseling area (rate ratio (RR) 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.86-1.00). Patients at the drive-through received a lower amount of information relative to patients using the walk-in. Amount of information provided to patients was affected by the level of pharmacy busyness (RR 0.96, 95% CI: 0.95-0.99).

CONCLUSIONS: Providing patient care at the drive-through counseling area may negatively influence quality of patient care. To improve quality of pharmacy drive-through services, standardization of drive-through services in pharmacies may be needed.