Evaluation of online counselling services based on Turkish web-based pharmacy care setting: A retrospective observational study

Abstract

Aims of the study: To determine the types of online pharmacy care services provided by the clinical pharmacists regarding identification of medication-related problems, provision of counselling services for health and disease conditions alongside medications' counselling for patients seeking online consultation about health, medication and lifestyle concerns based on Turkish web-based pharmacy care setting(WPCS). Methods: A retrospective, descriptive cohort study carried out on patients during their online visiting of Turkish WPCS seeking consultation for diverse kinds of concerns from September 2015 to March 2016. Patients' health and medication data were gathered for assessment of health-, medication- and lifestyle-related concerns. Descriptive analysis and Chi square test were used to analyse study data. Study outcomes included personalised online pharmacy care services regarding identification of medication-related problems, counselling services for health and disease conditions and medications' counselling alongside associations with counselling-related concerns by the WPCS. Results: A total of 350 participants enrolled in this study and the majority of them were women (62.6%). Dermatological and gynaecological conditions represented the majority of disease conditions (51.4%, 44.6%), respectively. Within 1 year, 63.7% of the study participants visited the Turkish WPCS more than three times. Medication- and health-related concerns were reported by 90.8% and 68.3% of the study participants, respectively. Medication side effects (44.1%) and an inappropriate medication timing (31.4%) were the major medication-related problems identified. A total of 477 different counselling services regarding health conditions and 990 counselling regarding medications were provided by the clinical pharmacist through the Turkish WPCS. Conclusion: The WPCS could be considered as an additional option for the clinical pharmacist to provide care services regarding identification of medication-related problems, provision of counselling about health and disease conditions alongside different medication counselling to improve health conditions and proper pharmacotherapy management.