Abstract
Pharmacists' over-the-counter (OTC) drug consultations were examined for content and context. Objectives were to examine the line of questioning used by the pharmacist when faced with an OTC drug request, the appropriateness of the OTC drug recommended, and the communicatton skills of the pharmacist. Six Doctor of Pharmacy students were trained in the disguised shopper technique. Scenarios used were "laxative dependency in a possible ulcer patient using antacid" and "nasal rebound in a hypertensive male". Eighty-four community pharmacies in Atlanta were randomly selected and visited twice, once with each scenario presented by a different shopper. The majority of the pharmacists questioned the shoppers prior to making recommendations and provided directions for use with the products they recommended. Their communication skills were rated favorably. The majority of those pharmacists under age 30 made product recommendations satisfactory for the situation. The data lend credence to marketing activities aimed at promoting the pharmacist's role in OTC drug product selection.
