The assessment of patients and pharmaceutical professionals’ approach towards additional sales of the pharmacy assortment of goods in Kaunas city community pharmacies.

Objectives: 1. To analyse how additional sales of the pharmacy assortment of goods depend on the respondents socio-demographic characteristics. 2. To analyse Kaunas city community pharmacies patients opinion about the impact of additional sales on treating the disease and improving the quality of life.To analyse Kaunas city community pharmacies pharmaceutical professionals’ opinion about the impact of additional sales on patients well-being. 3. To analyse Kaunas city community pharmacies pharmaceutical professionals’ opinion about the impact of additional sales on patients well-being. 4. To analyse the most commonly proposed products from the pharmacy assortment of goods to capture additional sales. 5. To evaluate what kind of influence an advertisement, pharmacy layout and product placement has on a patients choice. Methods. The study consisted of 2 parts: quantitative and qualitative analysis. During the quantitative analysis 384 patients of Kaunas city community filled in an anonymous questionnaire form, (371, which is 96,6%, answered all of the questions). 10 Kaunas community pharmacies employed pharmacists participated in the qualitative analysis. The collected data were statistically analysed and evaluated using IBM SPSS (version 20) and MS Excel 2007 programs. Results. It was found that additionally proposed goods were often purchased by those who are married, have an university education and earn more than 731euros per month (p< 0,05). It is important for the patients, who buy additional pharmacy assortment goods, that the pharmacist can explain the benefits of those products. 47.9% of all patients agree that additional goods offered by a pharmacist helps for complex treatment. 53.9% agree that by offering additional goods a pharmacist seeks to improve quality of patients’ life. All of the pharmacists claimed that additionaly proposed goods benefit patients, because it helps to improve the well-being of a patient and the effectiveness of complex treatment. In most cases, additional sales are driven by food supplements (so say 61.7% of the patients pharmacists agreed with that, however, according to the experts, additional goods that are offered by pharmacists depends on the patient's health status, complaints and needs). 39.1% of patients choose additional products due to the influence of advertisement. Advertised goods are mostly purchased by elders over 65 years old (with the frequency of 84,6%) and patients, who gets more than 921euros per month (92,3%, (p<0,05). For 64.4% of the patients pharmacies layout and product placement is important. A product placement and layout of the parmacy is more relavant for women (71,4%) than men (54,4) (p<0,05). Conclusions. 1. Additional sales of the pharmacy assortment of goods significantly depend on the following socio-demographic characteristics: marital status, education and monthly income (p<0,05). 2. Patients agree that additional goods offered by a pharmacist are necessary and helps for a complex treatment. 3. Pharmaceutical experts stated that due to the patients' lack of and due to the lack of time, professional help is necessary for the patient's well-being improvement. 4. The most commonly proposed products in pharmacies are food supplements. 5. Patients, who choose additional products due to the influence of an advertisement intend to buy additionals goods more often than those on whom an advertisement has no significant impact (p<0,05). Advertised goods are mostly purchased by elders over 65 years old and patients, who get more than 921euros per month A product placement and layout of the parmacy is important, more relevant for women than men (p