Objective: The aim of this study was to assess pharmacists' beliefs about bioidentical hormone therapy (BHT) and to identify factors influencing these beliefs.
Study design: This was a cross-sectional survey of pharmacists. An email invitation to participate in the online survey was sent to a random sample of 2000 pharmacists in Alberta. The survey was accessible for a six-week period from May to July, 2011. A 54-item questionnaire was used to capture knowledge and beliefs about, and confidence in BHT. Summary statistics and multivariate regression were used for analyses.
Results: Overall, 401 pharmacists completed the survey (response rate 20%). Respondents were mainly female (64%), above 30 years of age (81%) and in practice for more than 10 years (63%). Only 35% of respondents correctly classified BHT as including both compounding and commercial products. In regards to beliefs, 68% of respondents agreed that BHT is as effective as non-bioidentical hormones for vasomotor symptoms, while 60% agreed BHT had equal risk. Beliefs on estriol, progesterone, and saliva testing however, were more diverse with many "do not know" responses (40%). In multivariate analysis, pharmacists who worked in pharmacies that compounded BHT were more likely to believe in BHT safety (p<0.001), and have greater confidence with BHT (p<0.001).
Conclusions: Results from this survey indicated that pharmacists had varying beliefs on BHT. In addition, beliefs on the safety of BHT were associated with pharmacists' practice, specifically working in a pharmacy that compounds BHT. This study helps identify areas for targeted education.
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