Patient-centeredness Approach in Community Pharmacies: A Cross-sectional Survey.

Abstract

Objective: The traditional approach to pharmacy practice offers standard medications based solely on physicians' decisions or existing treatment guidelines, not accompanying patients in their health status. On the other hand, patient-centered pharmacies provide tailored care to each individual's particular needs and concerns. As the patient-centered approach has gained significant importance in modern healthcare systems, including pharmacies, this study investigates how community pharmacies in Tehran are implementing such an approach.

Methods: A descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated questionnaire in the general population visiting pharmacies. The data were analyzed using SPSS 30.0.

Findings: The results show that 45% of the pharmacies were patient centered. The average rating of their patient-centeredness was 4.03 (out of 5). Regarding the patient-centeredness aspects of pharmacies, the most decisive points were the confidentiality of personal information and respect for the rights and dignity of the patients.

Conclusion: Our study shows that most pharmacies are patient centered. There was also a significant positive correlation between patient-centeredness and disease-centeredness. This means that improving the level of patient-centeredness in pharmacies also enhances the status of disease-centeredness in pharmacies, increasing patient satisfaction and loyalty.