Pharmacist self-reported antidepressant medication counseling

Objectives: To identify the extent of pharmacists' self-reported antidepressant counseling (SRAC) and to identify factors that may affect pharmacists' decisions to provide antidepressant counseling. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Alabama community pharmacies in 2011. Participants: Full-time pharmacists from 600 community pharmacies. Intervention: Self-administered survey; three mail contacts with alternate electronic surveys were used. Main outcome measures: Pharmacists' SRAC behavior and its relationship with pharmacists' illness perceptions of depression, self-efficacy, and organizational and environmental influences. Results: 600 surveys were sent; 22 were undeliverable, 1 was partially completed (<80% questions answered), and 118 were completed (20.6% overall response rate). Pharmacists reported low rates of involvement in antidepressant counseling; 61% reported assessing patient knowledge and understanding of depression, and 36% discussed options for managing adverse effects with no more than a few patients. More than one-quarter (28.6%) never asked patients whether they had barriers to taking antidepressants. Pharmacists' perceptions regarding consequences, control/cure, and the episodic nature of depression, as well as their self-efficacy, had significant relationships (P < 0.05) with pharmacists' involvement in antidepressant counseling. Conclusion: Low rates of pharmacists' involvement in antidepressant counseling were reported. Pharmacists must become more involved in counseling patients about their antidepressant medications and overcoming barriers preventing greater involvement.