The impact of prescription flavoring on patient adherence and satisfaction in a community pharmacy

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of prescription flavoring on satisfaction with therapy and medication adherence in a community pharmacy. The primary outcome will be satisfaction with therapy. Secondary outcome measures include reporting of the number of flavored medications dispensed after program implementation as well as patient adherence to those medications. We hypothesize that offer- ing unique services such as prescription flavoring will set a community pharmacy apart from its competitors, and may appeal to the consumer by promoting a more positive overall patient experience. Additionally, increasing the acceptability of medications will enhance patient satisfaction and adherence, which improve therapeutic outcomes. Methods: This institutional review board-approved open-label prospective study will be conducted in a grocery store-based community pharmacy in Dublin, Ohio. For primary analysis, patients of all ages will be included if they have a prescription for a liquid medication or if they select an over-the-counter liquid medication that can be flavored. All other patients will be excluded from the study. Consenting patients interested in flavoring or using a taste-masking product on their medication will receive the intervention. Those who consent to participate but are not interested in flavoring will be in the control group. Data will be collected from consenting patients or caregivers post-therapy using a survey. The questionnaire will gauge the patient's self-reported adherence and difficulty in completing the prescribed course of therapy as well as attitudes toward using a taste-masking product. The questionnaire will employ a 9-point hedonic scale for measuring acceptability of the medication and a 5-point Likerttype scale for measuring satisfaction. Differences between intervention and non-intervention will be evaluated using independent t tests for continuous variables and χ2 tests for categoric variables.