Pharmacy Continence Care - Bladder and Bowel Website

pharmacy staff report increased confidence and knowledge of incontinence health issues and
the perception of both consumer and business benefit.
In respect of consumer benefit, the evaluation strategy did not achieve an adequate rate of
consumer participation and it is not possible to assess the PCCP’s effect on the personal impact
of incontinence and on health outcomes. On the basis of this project’s experience, the project
team recommend that consumer benefit should be assessed through an extended study
accessing on a routine and regular basis consumer feedback from customers of participating
pharmacies. Despite the very small sample of customers, the pilot has indicated that:
• hygiene is the most common area of concern for customers, followed by skin care
• disposable pads (either sanitary or incontinence) are the most commonly utilised product
• expenditure of continence care products (such as non-drug related products, skin care
products and women’s sanitary products) is most commonly under $10 per week or between
$10-$25 per week
• brochures/pamphlets provided by pharmacies are the most recalled information source
• people with incontinence, and those caring for people with incontinence, are generally not
embarrassed to speak with pharmacy staff about incontinence
• for the majority, pharmacies are a comfortable place to discuss personal needs.
The PCCP pilot has provided sufficient evidence to indicate that implementation of the
Program in the longer term would be sustainable through demonstrated benefit to pharmacy
practice in primary health care and to pharmacy business. Further work would be required
through implementation of the Program to assess adequately the benefits to consumers and
the contribution to improved health outcomes.
Implementation of the Program would require that the quality and currency of training
materials, training modalities and health information is sustained; that pharmacies are
recruited and supported through an active and targeted marketing strategy; and that the
Program is either fully funded or required to become financially self-sustaining.
5.1.1 Providing incentives for pharmacies to participate
The PCCP pilot provided two specific incentives to pharmacies to participate:
• The opportunity to win a travel voucher.
• Payment of a lump sum on completion of the training program and submission of the
evaluation form.
These incentives, however, did not appear to be key drivers for participation: pharmacies
had to be reminded to submit their invoice and even then, not all did so, and only a very
small number of pharmacies responded to the travel voucher incentive to request and
provide consumer consent to participation in the consumer survey. Participating pharmacies
consistently identified their concern to meet the health care needs of their client base as
their reason for volunteering their participation.
This may indicate a particularly altruistic characteristic of some pharmacies, given that these
pharmacies responded to a widely broadcast invitation to participate in the pilot Program.
But it can be assumed from this self-selected sample that identification of the benefit to
pharmacies’ client base offers a significant incentive to participation. The framework of the
QCPP, however, could usefully provide a parallel and strong incentive to participation in the
Program by pharmacies, and would provide a major contribution to sustainability, by
enabling participating pharmacies, on completion of training and at review and upgrade, to
acquire CQI points against the QCPP standards for the PCCP.
Final Report
48
NOVA Public Policy
Pharmacy Continence Care Project