Many Patients Unaware of Pharmacy Medicare Part D Consultation Services

In qualitative interviews, patients who have used community pharmacy Medicare Part D consultation services tended to emphasize service components that contributed to quality and reported higher willingness-to-pay values, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association.

“Community pharmacies currently offer Medicare Part D consultation services to help eligible beneficiaries select prescription medication insurance,” wrote corresponding author Logan T Murry, PharmD, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Royal College of Surgeons, Dublin,  Ireland, and coauthors. “Despite these service offerings, there is a paucity of information on patient preferences for these service offerings and optimal service delivery from the patient perspective.”

The qualitative exploratory study used data from interviews and follow-up surveys with 17 patients from five community pharmacies located throughout Iowa. Among participants, eight had experienced community pharmacy Medicare Part D consultation services (service-experienced) and nine had not (service-naïve).

Similarities and differences in preferences between patients who were service-experienced and patients who were service-naïve included patient-pharmacist trust, past service experience, and willingness to pay, according to the study. Service-experienced participants focused on components that enhance quality of the service and expressed more willingness to pay than service-naïve participants.

“Many service-naive patients were unaware community pharmacies provided consultation services, suggesting that pharmacists may benefit from considering how services are offered to patients based on the specific preferences and expectations and consider ways to increase awareness of service offerings,” researchers advised.

Reference:
Murry LT, Witry MJ, Urmie JM. A qualitative exploration of patient preferences for Medicare Part D consultation services offered in a community pharmacy setting. J Am Pharm Assoc. Published online August 30, 2022. doi:10.1016/j.japh.2022.08.020