Comparison of Community Pharmacy Services in Urban and Suburban Areas, with Emphasis on Those for Older People

Abstract

Objective: To document and compare the availability and type of pharmacy services provided by community pharmacies to the elderly in an urban area (central city) and a suburban area of a large metropolitan area, as well as the use of pharmacy services by elderly people living in the study areas. Design: Questionnaire. Setting: Metropolitan Detroit, MI. Subjects: Pharmacies, pharmacists, and elderly people. Data Collection: Data were collected from the 1990 census and surveys of pharmacies, pharmacists, and elderly patients in the study areas. Results: There were fewer pharmacists, pharmacies, and pharmacy business hours available for the elderly living in the central city compared with the suburban area. Overall, the elderly generally felt satisfied with their pharmacists. Pharmacists indicated that less than half of their elderly patients with new prescriptions receive verbal/written information and few do little in the area of follow-up monitoring for elderly patients. The elderly in the central city are concerned with neighborhood crime, use mass transportation, have significantly lower incomes, and live alone more often than the suburban area elderly. Conclusions: Overall there was no significant difference in access to available pharmacy services. Urban and suburban area respondents did have some differences that may affect their ability to access pharmacies.