AIDSWEEKLY Plus; Monday, July 25, 2005
Staff Medical Writers

"The aim of the study was to investigate how health-care personnel at a HIV clinic perceived conventional pharmacies in Sweden and whether the decentralization of pharmaceutical services to the HIV clinic had led to an improved collaboration between other health-care professionals and pharmacists.

"Doctors and nurses who had regular contacts with HIV patients and the satellite pharmacy were interviewed. The interviews were semistructured, using open questions and was analyzed according to the phenomenographic approach," investigators in Sweden wrote.

"The respondents perceived the existing cowork between conventional pharmacies and other health care professionals as limited. The availability of the satellite pharmacy enabled the health care professionals to understand the pharmacy's way of working, and to increase trust in the pharmacy staff.

"Collaboration was hence developed between the professions, leading to a consistent way of informing the patients about their HIV drugs, thereby avoiding contradictory information. The pharmacist also became involved in adherence promoting activities at the clinic," reported B.M.H. Sodergard and coworkers at the University of Uppsala.

"The perceived benefits for the patients were considered to be convenience and preservation of privacy as well as a better basis for safe and appropriate drug utilization. Conventional pharmacies were shown to have several disadvantages in serving the HIV infected population," the authors said.

Sodergard concluded, "The health care professionals found the novel approach of dispensing HIV drugs at the clinic valuable. The approach led to increased communication and trust between the health care professions, and enhanced teamwork in medication management."

Sodergard and colleagues published their study in Pharmacy World & Science (A qualitative study of health-care personnel's experience of a satellite pharmacy at a HIV clinic. Pharm World Sci. 2005 Apr;27(2):108-15.

For additional information, contact B.M.H. Sodergard, University of Uppsala, Dept. Pharmacy, S-75105 Uppsala, Sweden.

The publisher of the journal Pharmacy World & Science can be contacted at: Springer, Van Godewijckstraat 30, 3311 Gz Dordrecht, Netherlands.

Keywords: Uppsala, Sweden, Satellite Pharmacy, HIV clinic, Hospital Pharmacy Practice, Medication Management, Patient Adherence.

This article was prepared by AIDS Weekly editors from staff and other reports.

Reference

Sodergard BM, Baretta K, Tully MP, et al. A qualitative study of health-care personnel's experience of a satellite pharmacy at a HIV clinic., Pharm World Sci. 2005 Apr;27(2):108-15.

PubMED Related articles Search

050725
AW050711

Copyright © 2005 - Charles Henderson, Publisher. All rights Reserved. Permission to reproduce granted to AEGIS by Charles W. Henderson. Authorization to reproduce for personal use granted granted by C. W. Henderson, Publisher, provided that the fee of US$4.50 per copy, per page is paid directly to the Copyright Clearance Center, 27 Congress Street, Salem, Massachusetts 01970, USA. Published by Charles Henderson, Publisher. Editorial & Publishing Office: P.O. Box 5528, Atlanta, GA 30307-0528 / Telephone: (800) 633-4931; Subscription Office: P.O. Box 830409, Birmingham, AL 35283-0409 / FAX: (205) 995-1588 http://www.newsrx.net

AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Bridgestone/Firestone Charitable Trust, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2005. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.

AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.

Copyright © 1980,2005. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content.