EFFECTS OF INTERROLE CONGRUENCE ON PHARMACIST PATIENT COMMUNICATION

Data from 231 pharmacist-patient encounters in 12 community pharmacies were analyzed to test if there were differences in components of comm unication under conditions of role congruence and role incongruence. R elations among patient age, new or refill prescription status, and rol e congruence/incongruence were explored to help understand why role in congruence might occur between pharmacists and patients. Average lengt h and content of communication for encounters with interrole congruenc e were 74 sec and 4.1 types of information, respectively, compared wit h only 36 sec and 3.0 types of information for those with interrole in congruence, t(229) = 3.5, p < .05 and t(229) = 3.7, p < .05, for each respective comparison. Interrole incongruence was more common between pharmacists and older patients. When patient age was controlled, there was no relation between prescription status and role congruence/incon gruence. Older patients may prefer to talk about medications only with their physician and not their pharmacist, which might account for old er people comprising the incongruence group.