The role of community pharmacists and medicines counter assistants in health promotion: reflections from a folic acid campaign

Abstract

Abstract Context In the UK in 1996, the National Pharmaceutical Association collaborated with the Health Education Authority to pilot a resource pack that would enable community pharmacists and their medicines counter assistants to contribute to the promotion of the use of folic acid in planned pregnancy. Objective To determine the views of pharmacists and medicines counter assistants about the use of the resource pack. Method Depth interviews were carried out to elicit views, underlying feelings, experiences and attitudes towards staging and managing the project. The data were analysed using the constant comparison as outlined in grounded theory. Themes were identified and quotes from interviewees used to illustrate the themes. Setting 14 pharmacists and 14 medicines counter assistants in a West London health authority. Key findings Most pharmacists and medicines counter assistants reported feeling more comfortable when advising regular customers rather than unknown customers. Leaflets, posters and displays were thought to be better ways to target passing trade. The majority of the minority ethnic pharmacists and medicines counter assistants considered that they had an important role in communicating information about folic acid to customers from minority ethnic groups, provided they both spoke the same language. Conclusions Most pharmacists will only raise sensitive issues, such as the importance of taking folic acid to prevent neural tube defects, with customers with whom they already have a relationship. Stimulating inquiries from passing trade by targeting with leaflets, displays and other health education resources offers an additional benefit. Pharmacies are an important setting for disseminating health messages to people from minority ethnic groups in their own languages.