Pharmacist-patient relationships: Factors influencing quality and commitment

The study purpose was to empirically test a pharmacist-patient relationship quality model, from a patient perspective. The proposed antecedents of relationship quality were perceived expertise of the pharmacist, contact intensity, and mutual disclosure. The proposed outcome of relationship quality was relationship commitment between the pharmacist and patient. Data were collected via mailed survey from a systematic random sample of 800 individuals in the United States. Model relationships were tested using path analysis. The response rate was 40.8 percent. Statistically significant standardized regression paths using relationship quality as the dependent variable (Adjusted R² = 0.65) were 0.50 for perceived expertise of the pharmacist and 0.39 for contact intensity. The statistically significant standardized regression path using relationship commitment as the dependent variable (Adjusted R² = 0.53) was 0.62 for relationship quality. Results suggest that pharmacist-patient relationship quality has a strong mediating effect between perceived expertise of the pharmacist and relationship commitment. Also, pharmacist-patient relationship quality has a strong mediating effect between contact intensity and relationship commitment.