‘At the moment it is just a couple of eccentrics doing it’: concordance in day-to-day practice

Abstract

Abstract Objectives To assess the feasibility and acceptability of concordance in pharmacy practice through examination of communication between customers and pharmacists in two community pharmacies in consultations for over-the-counter medicines. Method A qualitative pilot study involving data drawn from six sources: audiotaped training session with all the pharmacists involved, observational field work in the pharmacies, audiotaped consultations with pharmacists and customers, debriefing interviews with pharmacists after the consultation, and semi-structured interviews with customers a few days after their consultation. Setting Two community pharmacies that concentrate their services on medicine advice and dispensing, one in a deprived inner-city area, the other in a more affluent suburban area of London. Key findings The pharmacists developed a personal understanding of concordance which informed their practice. Customers reported a high level of satisfaction with services they received from the respective pharmacists. Their accounts of the consultations verified the pharmacists' patient-centredness in their day-to-day practice. Conclusion The implementation of a concordance model was possible through the development of a personalised, patient-centred model which drew on the model of concordance but was adapted in accordance with both structural constraints as well as the personal style of the pharmacists involved.