Reclassification of omeprazole: a survey of community pharmacists' early experiences and views

Objective To describe community pharmacists' views and early experiences of over-the-counter (OTC) omeprazole. Method A cross-sectional pre-piloted postal questionnaire was sent to 2000 randomly selected community pharmacy premises in Great Britain (approximately 15%). The questionnaire comprised items on: attitudes to OTC omeprazole; continuing education; sales; and general views and experiences. Two reminders were sent. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results Questionnaires were returned by 1156 community pharmacists (57.8%). Sixty-eight per cent of respondents had not sold any omeprazole in the previous 14 days and a further 12% had sold only a single pack in this period. In total 920/1147 pharmacists (80.2%) had participated in continuing education on omeprazole, 73.4% agreed or strongly agreed that they were entirely confident in selling it, and 78.0% viewed omeprazole as a welcome addition to OTC medicines. Some 17.6% of respondents had recommended purchase of omeprazole in the last 14 days and the vast majority of these recommendations (92.8%) were accepted by the customer. Forty-one pharmacists (3.5%) had refused sales on the basis that it was inappropriate for the presenting condition, or due to a potential drug interaction. Conclusion Many responding community pharmacists welcome omeprazole availability OTC and are willing and able to supply it.