PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Williams, S E
AU  - Bond, C M
AU  - Menzies, C
TI  - A pharmaceutical needs assessment in a primary care setting.
DP  - 2000 Feb 01
TA  - British Journal of General Practice
PG  - 95--99
VI  - 50
IP  - 451
4099  - http://bjgp.org/content/50/451/95.short
4100  - http://bjgp.org/content/50/451/95.full
SO  - Br J Gen Pract2000 Feb 01; 50
AB  - BACKGROUND: As part of a reconfiguration of its general medical services, Ardach Health Centre has integrated a community pharmacist into the centre to provide pharmaceutical care. In order to systematically identify areas of 'pharmaceutical need', a needs assessment was carried out during October 1997. AIM: To prioritize and assist the planning of pharmaceutical care provision within the centre, such that maximum gain could be achieved from inevitable limited resources. METHOD: A four-stage pharmaceutical needs assessment method was created around a selection of techniques: gap analysis, the nominal group technique, and rapid participatory appraisal. This was then applied to a random sample of people drawn from the patient register of Ardach Health Centre and all the health care professionals associated with their care. RESULTS: Through the four-stage process, a pharmaceutical service priority league table was constructed to reflect the unmet pharmaceutical needs of patients and their primary health care providers. The table provided a structured framework around which pharmaceutical service provision within the health centre could be planned. CONCLUSION: We have developed a pragmatic, systematic method of identifying the prevalence of unmet pharmaceutical needs of a community. The assessment assisted service selection, balancing what should be done with what could be done and what could be afforded.