Objective:
To investigate the views and expectations of a selected group
of customers regarding health information in Swedish pharmacies.
Methods: A repeated cross sectional, questionnaire study carried
out in 2004 and 2005. Customers buying calcium products answered
questions on osteoporosis and general questions on health promotion
and information.
Results: Respondents had a positive attitude towards receiving
health information from the pharmacies and towards the pharmacies’
future role in health promotion. However, only 30% of the respondents
expected to get information on general health issues from the
pharmacy. In spite of this, 76% (2004) and 72% (2005) of the respondents
believed that the pharmacies could influence people’s willingness
to improve their health.
Conclusion: There is a gap between the respondents’ positive attitudes
towards the Swedish pharmacies and their low expectations as regards
the pharmacies’ ability to provide health information. In the
light of the upcoming change to the state monopoly on medicine
sales, this gap could be an important area for competition between
the actors in the new situation for medicine sales in Sweden.
