Pharmacists' therapeutic relationships with older adults: The impact of participative behavior and patient-centeredness on relationship quality and commitment

Objective: The study purpose was to empirically examine relationships in a participative pharmacist-patient relationship quality model, from an older patient perspective. Antecedents of relationship quality were pharmacist participative behavior/patient-centeredness, patient participative behavior and pharmacist-patient interpersonal communication. The outcome of relationship quality was pharmacist-patient relationship commitment. Method and Setting: Data were collected via mailed questionnaire from a systematic random sample of 500 non-institutionalized adults in the United States, aged 65 years and older, using at least one prescription medication. Model relationships were tested using path analysis. Key Findings: The overall response rate was 80.6 percent. Statistically significant standardized regression paths using relationship quality as the dependent variable (Adjusted R² = 0.53) were 0.48 for pharmacist participative behavior/patient-centeredness and 0.22 for pharmacist-patient interpersonal communication. Statistically significant standardized regression paths using relationship commitment as the dependent variable (Adjusted R² = 0.47) were 0.16 for patient participative behavior and 0.52 for relationship quality. Conclusion: Results suggest that pharmacist participative behavior/patient-centeredness has more of an influence on pharmacist-patient relationship quality development, as compared to pharmacist-patient interpersonal communication. Relationship quality is a strong mediator between pharmacist participative behavior/patient centeredness and relationship commitment, as well as pharmacist-patient interpersonal communication and relationship commitment.