Interpersonal perception: a theory and method for studying pharmacists' and patients' views of pharmaceutical care.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the congruency between pharmacists' and their patients' perceptions of the benefits of services a pharmacist would provide if practicing according to the pharmaceutical care model, and to characterize the relationship between the congruency of their perceptions and the extent to which each reports that such services are provided.

DESIGN: This study employed the interpersonal perception method, a communication theory and tool through which two people's perceptions are compared to assess their agreement with and understanding of one another regarding a particular issue.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Six independent community pharmacies participated in a written survey of perceptions of pharmaceutical care. Questionnaires were distributed to 100 adult patients from each store. Pharmacists completed a self-report of the pharmaceutical care services provided to their patients; patients were asked whether they received such services.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pharmacists' and patients' perceptions of pharmaceutical care; pharmacists' and patients' reports of pharmaceutical care activities.

RESULTS: Pharmacists and patients were found to disagree on the potential benefits of pharmaceutical care services. Pharmacists tended not to understand their patients' perceptions. The differences were not found to be related to the level of pharmaceutical care reportedly provided.

CONCLUSION: The extent to which pharmacists' and patients' perceptions serve as barriers to the provision of pharmaceutical care is yet unknown. This study shows that differences in these perceptions exist and may perpetuate both patients' traditional perceptions of dispensing activities in the community pharmacy and pharmacists' perceptions of lack of patient interest in pharmaceutical care.