USE OF PHARMACY COMPUTER PRESCRIPTION DATABASE TO ACCESS HYPERTENSIVEPATIENTS FOR MAILED SURVEY-RESEARCH

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of a pharmacy computer prescription dat abase (PCPD) to identify and sample hypertensive patients outside of t heir treatment setting for mailed, self-administered survey research c omparing the presence and lack of participation incentives and mailed follow-up reminders, SETTING: Two independent, privately owned, free-s tanding community pharmacies.PARTICIPANTS: A total of 735 individuals identified from a PCPD search who had been prescribed at least 1 of 13 0 PCPD medications potentially used in hypertensive therapy. METHODS: PCPD was searched by the pharmacist/owner per protocol; participants w ere sent an individually addressed cover letter on pharmacy letterhead signed by the pharmacist that requested voluntary anonymous completio n of an enclosed self-administered, quality-of-life opinion survey; th e first search used no incentive or follow-up; the second search used an incentive and mailed a follow-up reminder. Research protocol follow ed published ethics guidelines. RESULTS: There was a mean 84% return w ith incentive and followup strategies compared with a mean 25% return without strategies (p < 0.01) for all drug groups between searches; no statistical difference in response was shown between the same drug gr oups (alpha(1)-blockers, calcium-channel blockers, and centrally actin g alpha(2)-agonists) within searches. CONCLUSIONS: Acceptable response rates (74-93% return) can be obtained with traditional follow-up mail ed incentives, prescription issuance within 6 months, incentives to bo th hypertensive and nonhypertensive responders, and sampling strategie s within potential drug groups. Methodology can be adapted to other po pulations by alternative drug sampling strategies.