| Summary: | <div>Objective: To assess the role of pharmacist in community setting &amp; consumer&rsquo;s perception in National Capital</div><div>Region.</div><div>Setting: The study was conducted in National Capital Region of India during the year 2003-04.</div><div>Method: Four pharmacy shops were selected for this study which were not attached to any hospital or clinic. Seventy</div><div>seven consumers, who visited these pharmacies during the study period, were selected for this study and</div><div>interviewed just after they visited the pharmacy.</div><div>Key findings: A total of 77 consumers in the age group of 11 to 72 years were included in the present study, of</div><div>which 66.2% were males and 33.8% were females. It is observed that 46.7% consumers came for prescription</div><div>medicines, 23.4% for over the counter medicines. Close to general physicians&rsquo; clinics and proximity to home</div><div>were most important reasons given for visiting particular pharmacy. Majority of the consumers (n=56, 72.7%)</div><div>rated the advice given by the pharmacist as very useful, only 1(1.3%) rated it as not useful at all and 2 (2.6%)</div><div>consumers did not respond. Among consumer groups 31 (40.3%) thought that pharmacist has a good balance</div><div>between health and business matter and 35.7% were in opinion that pharmacist is more concerned with making</div><div>money, while 5.2% supported that the pharmacist is also interested in the health of his/her customers. The pharmacists</div><div>were ranked at the top with 28(36.4%) by the consumers and favoured pharmacy as the most convenient</div><div>place to get advice about staying healthy.</div><div>Conclusion: Most of the consumers in the present study were of the opinion that pharmacist is concerned with the</div><div>health of the consumers, though he/she is also interested in making money. Many respondents were unaware</div><div>about the difference between pharmacist and doctor, most of them consider pharmacist as doctor and this is the</div><div>main problem in concluding that pharmacy is regarded as the most convenient and best place for advice about</div><div>staying healthy.</div>
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