Factors used by pharmacists in the recommendation of the active ingredient(s) and brand of non-prescription analgesics for a simple, tension and migraine headache

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the factors (dimensions) that are considered by community pharmacists in their recommendation of the active ingredients and brands in non-prescription analgesics for an adult with a simple, tension or migraine headache. The research was conducted in four stages: a qualitative stage, a pre-pilot study, a pilot survey and the main quantitative study. The main study was conducted across 1,500 randomly selected Australian community pharmacies (68.3 per cent usable response rate). Principal components analysis with varimax rotation was employed on a list of statements concerning pharmacists' recommendation of the active ingredient(s) and the brand. For each type of headache, a four factor solution was interpreted for reasons for recommendation of the active ingredient(s) and reasons for recommendation of the brand. All the factors extracted were meaningful and easily interpreted. The highest percentage of the total variance was explained by the clinical influences factor for simple (20.4 per cent) and tension headache (18.8 per cent) and the two clinical influences factors for migraine headache (20.3 per cent and 10.1 per cent, respectively), indicating that the clinical influences construct accounted for the highest potential influence on pharmacists' recommendation of the active ingredient(s). The highest percentage of the total variance was explained by the economic influences factor for simple (29.9 per cent), tension (28.8 per cent) and migraine headache (30.8 per cent), indicating that the economic influences construct accounted for the highest potential influence on pharmacists' brand recommendation. This research could be useful for educators, professional associations and pharmaceutical companies in pharmacy-oriented marketing strategies.