Exploring Patient Needs and Respective Contributing Factors Regarding Hospital and Community Pharmacists for Outpatients with Cancer

Abstract

Improving the quality and safety of outpatient chemotherapy requires effective information sharing between hospitals and community pharmacies. However, achieving truly patient-centered care necessitates pharmacists to go beyond information exchange and develop a deeper understanding of patients’ concerns and needs before providing guidance. This study aimed to explore the needs of outpatients with cancer regarding hospitals and community pharmacists, as well as the factors underlying these needs. A 17-item questionnaire survey was conducted among patients receiving outpatient chemotherapy at nine facilities affiliated with the Aichi Hospital Pharmacists Association Oncology Division in 2023. Of the 315 questionnaires distributed, 270 were returned. Based on the median values of 5-point Likert scale responses, the perceived need for hospital pharmacists was higher than that for community pharmacists across all items. Simple tabulation indicated that the highest rated need for hospital pharmacists was “Q8: Explanation of and countermeasures for treatment-related side effects,” whereas for community pharmacists, it was “Q6: Information on drug interactions.” Factor analysis identified two factors for hospital pharmacists: “Understanding of pharmacotherapy” and “Coping with daily life during treatment.” In contrast, three factors were extracted for community pharmacists: “Comprehensive information about treatment,” “Questions and anxieties about treatment drugs,” and “Coping with daily life during treatment.” These findings clarify differences in patient needs between hospital and community pharmacists and the factors underlying them, providing a basis for improving information sharing and facilitating patient-tailored pharmaceutical interventions.