A 'secret shopper' survey of community pharmacist prenatal vitamin recommendations
| Autor: | Lydia Lebeau, Anne Ottney |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2021 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
Sociodemographic Factors health care facilities manpower and services education MEDLINE Pharmacist Pharmacology (nursing) Pharmacy Community Pharmacy Services Pharmacists Preconception Care Professional Role Pregnancy Medicine Humans Prenatal vitamins health care economics and organizations Pharmacology Pharmacies Brand names business.industry Vitamins Folic acid Community pharmacist Family medicine Female business |
| Zdroj: | Journal of the American Pharmacists Association : JAPhA. 61(6) |
| ISSN: | 1544-3450 |
| Popis: | Background As pharmacists assume a larger role in prenatal and preconception care, providing an evidence-based recommendation for a prenatal vitamin is essential. Objectives To identify the prenatal vitamins that community pharmacists are recommending to patients and compare the contents with national and international standards. The secondary objectives were to compare responses between the type of pharmacy (chain, grocery, or independent) and region of Michigan. Methods A female student pharmacist posing as a patient anonymously interviewed 60 community pharmacists distributed across 5 different regions of Michigan through telephone to determine prenatal vitamin recommendations for preconception use. The regions of Michigan were included to determine if sociodemographic factors were associated with varying responses or recommendations. Results Of the pharmacists interviewed, 97% recommended a prenatal vitamin, with 81% recommending an over-the-counter (OTC) prenatal vitamin. Only 33% of the pharmacists provided a specific brand name. Folic acid was the most common ingredient that the pharmacists identified to look for in a prenatal vitamin, followed by docosahexaenoic acid and iron. No difference was detected in the pharmacist responses across type of pharmacy (chain, grocery store chain, or independent). A difference was found between regions of Michigan and recommendations for a specific prenatal vitamin brand (P = 0.017). Conclusion Most of the community pharmacists recommended an OTC prenatal vitamin with an adequate amount of folic acid. Considering the broad range of prenatal vitamins on the market, a clear recommendation from a pharmacist about a specific prenatal vitamin that contains adequate nutrients is paramount. Expanding the knowledge and understanding of key prenatal vitamin ingredients and availability may strengthen future recommendations. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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