Exploring Weight Management Recommendations across Australian Community Pharmacies Using Case Vignettes

With the increase in the overweight and obese population, it is critical that pharmacy staff are able to provide weight management advice to women at different stages of their life. This study utilized case vignettes to identify pharmacists' and pharmacy assistants' current weight manageme...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Health education research 2014-12, Vol.29 (6), p.953-965
Main Authors: Fakih, Souhiela, Marriott, Jennifer L, Hussainy, Safeera Y
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Australia
Body Composition
Body Mass Index
Body Weight
Community Pharmacy Services - organization & administration
Drug Therapy
Female
Females
Foreign Countries
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Health Promotion
Health Services
Health technology assessment
Humans
Interdisciplinary Approach
Middle Aged
Obesity - prevention & control
Overweight - prevention & control
Pharmacists
Pharmacy
Physiology
Pregnancy
Professional Role
Surveys and Questionnaires
Vignettes
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Summary:With the increase in the overweight and obese population, it is critical that pharmacy staff are able to provide weight management advice to women at different stages of their life. This study utilized case vignettes to identify pharmacists' and pharmacy assistants' current weight management recommendations to women of different ages, life stages and co-morbidities. A total of 537 pharmacist and 403 pharmacy assistant responses were received. In the case of the pre-pregnancy vignette, only 57% (46/80) of pharmacy assistants were able to correctly identify a woman's weight category based on her body mass index, which was significantly fewer than 86% (86/108) of pharmacists (P < 0.001). In the pregnancy vignette, both pharmacists and pharmacy assistants were able to identify the risks of using a herbal weight loss medication in pregnancy. The need for a "multi-disciplinary team approach" was seen in the menopause case vignette with pharmacists, highlighting the need for the involvement of other health care professionals for successful weight loss outcomes. Australian pharmacists and pharmacy assistants are currently providing weight management services to their consumers, however, not all of their recommendations are evidence-based. There is a need for pharmacy weight management educational resources to be developed and implemented across community pharmacies.
ISSN:0268-1153
1465-3648
DOI:10.1093/her/cyu045