TY - JOUR
T1 - Encounters with immigrant customers
T2 - perspectives of Danish community pharmacy staff on challenges and solutions
AU - Mygind, Anna
AU - Espersen, Sacha
AU - Nørgaard, Lotte Stig
AU - Traulsen, Janine M
N1 - © 2012 The Authors. IJPP © 2012 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.
PY - 2013/6
Y1 - 2013/6
N2 - OBJECTIVES: To explore the challenges that Danish community pharmacy staff encounter when serving non-Western immigrant customers. Special attention was paid to similarities and differences between the perceptions of pharmacists and pharmacy assistants.METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed to one pharmacist and one pharmacy assistant employed at each of the 55 community pharmacies located in the five local councils in Denmark with the highest number of immigrant inhabitants.KEY FINDINGS: The total response rate was 76% (84/110). Most respondents found that the needs of immigrant customers were not sufficiently assessed at the counter (n = 55, 65%), and that their latest encounter with an immigrant customer was less satisfactory than a similar encounter with an ethnic Danish customer (n = 48, 57%) (significantly more pharmacists than assistants: odds ratio, OR, 3.19; 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.27-8.04). Forty-two per cent (n = 35) perceived that immigrant customers put pressure on pharmacy staff resources, while 27% (n = 23) found that the immigrant customer group make work more interesting. More pharmacists than assistants agreed on the latter (OR, 3.43; 95% CI, 1.04-11.33). Within the past 14 days, 86% (n = 72) experienced that their advice and counselling were not understood by immigrant customers, whereas 49% (n = 41) experienced lack of understanding by ethnic Danes; and 30% (n = 25) had consciously refrained from counselling an immigrant, whereas 19% (n = 16) had done so with an ethnic Dane. Use of under-aged children as interpreters during the past month was reported by 79% of respondents. Regarding suggestions on how to improve encounters with immigrant customers, most respondents listed interventions aimed at patients, general practitioners and pharmaceutical companies.CONCLUSIONS: Community pharmacy staff report poorer quality in their encounters with immigrant customers, including sub-optimal counselling and frequent use of under-aged children as interpreters. Our study also reveals certain differences across personnel groups, which may be explained by differences in level of education.
AB - OBJECTIVES: To explore the challenges that Danish community pharmacy staff encounter when serving non-Western immigrant customers. Special attention was paid to similarities and differences between the perceptions of pharmacists and pharmacy assistants.METHODS: A questionnaire was distributed to one pharmacist and one pharmacy assistant employed at each of the 55 community pharmacies located in the five local councils in Denmark with the highest number of immigrant inhabitants.KEY FINDINGS: The total response rate was 76% (84/110). Most respondents found that the needs of immigrant customers were not sufficiently assessed at the counter (n = 55, 65%), and that their latest encounter with an immigrant customer was less satisfactory than a similar encounter with an ethnic Danish customer (n = 48, 57%) (significantly more pharmacists than assistants: odds ratio, OR, 3.19; 95% confidence interval, CI, 1.27-8.04). Forty-two per cent (n = 35) perceived that immigrant customers put pressure on pharmacy staff resources, while 27% (n = 23) found that the immigrant customer group make work more interesting. More pharmacists than assistants agreed on the latter (OR, 3.43; 95% CI, 1.04-11.33). Within the past 14 days, 86% (n = 72) experienced that their advice and counselling were not understood by immigrant customers, whereas 49% (n = 41) experienced lack of understanding by ethnic Danes; and 30% (n = 25) had consciously refrained from counselling an immigrant, whereas 19% (n = 16) had done so with an ethnic Dane. Use of under-aged children as interpreters during the past month was reported by 79% of respondents. Regarding suggestions on how to improve encounters with immigrant customers, most respondents listed interventions aimed at patients, general practitioners and pharmaceutical companies.CONCLUSIONS: Community pharmacy staff report poorer quality in their encounters with immigrant customers, including sub-optimal counselling and frequent use of under-aged children as interpreters. Our study also reveals certain differences across personnel groups, which may be explained by differences in level of education.
KW - Adult
KW - Child
KW - Communication
KW - Community Pharmacy Services
KW - Denmark
KW - Emigrants and Immigrants
KW - Female
KW - Health Services Needs and Demand
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Pharmacists
KW - Pharmacists' Aides
KW - Professional Role
KW - Questionnaires
U2 - 10.1111/j.2042-7174.2012.00237.x
DO - 10.1111/j.2042-7174.2012.00237.x
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 23418814
SN - 0961-7671
VL - 21
SP - 139
EP - 150
JO - International Journal of Pharmacy Practice
JF - International Journal of Pharmacy Practice
IS - 3
ER -