Characterisation of patient encounters in community pharmacies (with special focus on self‐medication). (1st August 2014) - De Bolle, Leen
Abstract Objectives To characterise patient encounters during routine drug dispensing in community pharmacies. Methods Cross‐sectional survey in community pharmacies (Belgium). Key findings Fifty‐four per cent of all encounters (N = 1650) concerned patients carrying a prescription, of which 39% were prescriptions for new medication and 61% were repeat prescriptions. In 62% of all encounters, patients asked for non‐prescribed medication. Almost one‐third of self‐medication requests related to special patient populations (mainly children and elderly). Conclusions Many encounters related to self‐medication, and a substantial number of these self‐medication requests concerned vulnerable patient populations.