Assessment of community pharmacists' counselling skills on headache management by using the simulated patient approach: a pilot study

BACKGROUND Headache, or cephalalgia, is one of the 20 most disabling diseases in the world and affects a large portion of the world's population. People generally use over-the-counter medications to treat headaches and other minor symptoms. A pharmacist should help patients choose the most effective, safe, and convenient pharmacotherapeutic option. OBJECTIVE To assess the counselling skills of community pharmacists for headache management by using the simulated patient approach. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted from March 2010 to July 2010. Data were obtained from a convenience sample consisting of one pharmacist from each of the 24 participating community pharmacies. In order to evaluate the pharmacists' counselling skills, a simulated patient role played a standardized headache case requesting self-medication. The interactions of the simulated patient with the pharmacists were audiovisually recorded using a hidden micro camera, and these recordings were analysed using a validated questionnaire. RESULTS Of the 24 evaluated pharmacists, 19 (79.1%) were women. Information was spontaneously provided by 15 (62.5%) pharmacists. At least one question was asked by the pharmacist to assess the signs and symptoms. Most pharmacists (n=17, 70.8%) recommended sodium dipyrone, either alone or in combination with other drugs. The most discussed items in the simulation visits were contraindications (n=17, 70.8%), indications (n=10, 41.6%), and drug administration times (n=8, 33.3%). None of the pharmacists recommended any non-pharmacological therapeutic alternatives. The overall impressions of the pharmacists' professional counselling skills ranged from poor to fair. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that the pharmacists' counselling skills and the guidance provided by the pharmacists to the simulated patient were insufficient for the satisfactory management of headache.