Skip to main content
Log in

Community pharmacists' views and beliefs about the treatment of symptoms suggestive of vaginal thrush in community pharmacies

  • Published:
Pharmacy World and Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the views and beliefs of community pharmacists about the benefits and disadvantages to the customer, pharmacy and pharmacist of treating women with symptoms suggestive of vaginal thrush. Design: Semi‐structured interviews.Setting: Community pharmacists from within Grampian Primary Care NHS Trust.Outcome Measures: Pharmacists' views and beliefs analysed using content analysis.Results: Of the 26 pharmacists contacted, 19 (73%) pharmacists from 16 pharmacies completed interviews. The pharmacists were generally positive towards the treatment of women with vaginal symptoms and perceived few disadvantages. Immediate access to treatment and rapid symptom relief were perceived to be the greatest advantages to the customer. The main problems were customer embarrassment, cost and the risk of masking a serious condition. Customer embarrassment was perceived to be influenced by lack of privacy and the gender of the member of staff involved in the consultation. Five pharmacists perceived vaginal thrush to be an infection that could be spread by sexual transmission. Discussion: There is a need to make pharmacists aware of the current evidence regarding the treatment of vaginal thrush, particularly that sexual partners of women with acute, uncomplicated thrush do not require treatment with an anti‐fungal. The main difficulties that community pharmacists reported with the treatment of this condition were obtaining an accurate history and this was influenced by customer embarrassment. The gender of pharmacy staff and lack of private consultation facilities were suggested as factors that are associated with customer embarrassment and hence, the ability to obtain an accurate history.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Sobel JD. Vaginitis. N Engl J Med 1997;337(26):1896-903.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. Bibliography: Prescription only medicines reclassified to pharmacy only medicines. London: RPSGB; 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Ferris DG, Dekle C and Litaker M. Women's Use of Over-the-Counter Antifungal Medications for Gynecologic Symptoms. J Fam Pract 1996;42(6):595-600.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Anonymous. Counter advice. Consumers are still not receiving the right advice when buying medicines from pharmacists. WHICH [April], 22-25. 1999.

  5. O'Dowd TC, Parker S and Kelly A. Women's Experience of General Practitioner Management of Their Vaginal Symptoms. Br J Gen Pract 1996;46:415-8.

    Google Scholar 

  6. McAree DP and Scott EM. Pharmacists’ Self-Identified Strengths and Weaknesses in Relation to Women's Health Advice Provision. Pharm J 1999;263(7063):R62.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Conner M and Norman P. Predicting Health Behaviour 1st ed. Philadelphia: Open University Press; 1996.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Ajzen I and Fishbein M. Understanding attitudes and predicting social behaviour. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall; 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Krippendorf K. Content Analysis: An Introduction to its Methodology. London: Sage; 1980.(5).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Carstairs V and Morris R. Deprivation and Health in Scotland. 1st ed. Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press; 1991.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain. Medicines, Ethics and Practice. A Guide For Pharmacists. London: RSPGB; 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Bond CM, Taylor RJ, Sinclair HK and Winfield AJ. Some Characteristics of Scottish Community Pharmacies: How Far Has Nuffield Been Implemented? Pharm J 1992;Supplement (October):R6.

  13. Spencer JA and Edwards C. Pharmacy Beyond the Dispensary: General Practitioners’ Views. Br Med J 1992;304:1670-2.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Erwin J, Britten N, and Jones R. General Practitioners’ Views on Over the Counter Sales by Community Pharmacists. Br Med J 1996;312:617-8.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Clinical Effectiveness Group. National Guideline on the Management of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis. Sex Transm Inf 1999;75(Suppl 1):S18-19.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1998 Guidelines for Treatment of Sexually Transmitted Disease. MMWR 47[RR-1], 6-10. 1998.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Watson, M., Walker, A. & Bond, C. Community pharmacists' views and beliefs about the treatment of symptoms suggestive of vaginal thrush in community pharmacies. Pharm World Sci 22, 130–135 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008724513640

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008724513640

Navigation