585 Experience of community pharmacists in providing advice about vulvo-vaginal complaints

Abstract

Many over-the counter drugs are available for treatment vulvo-vaginal complaints. Choosing for self-diagnosis and self-medication can contribute to delayed diagnosis and improper treatment. Pharmacists are the gatekeepers for rational self-medication and refering. However, it is not clear which barriers they meet and which advantages they use during consultations. To analyze the experiences of community pharmacists advising on vulvo-vaginal complaints. A qualitative study to evaluate pharmacists experience in providing advice about vulvo-vaginal complaints was conducted from January to March 2015. New respondents were included till saturation was achieved. Twenty-one Lithuanian community pharmacists were interviewed, recorded and transcribed verbatim. The qualitative content analysis approach was used for data collection during semi-structured interviews and for data analysis. Interview transcripts and documents were content analyzed independently by 2 researchers. Consensus was reach during negation in cases of disagreement. Thematic coding of narratives was performed, data was categorized into hierarchic tree.