Social, Behavioural and Administrative Pharmacy Sciences
What this domain tests
Social, behavioural and administrative pharmacy sciences test how patients actually use medicines and how pharmacies are managed. Expect health behaviour models, adherence, patient-centred communication, social determinants of health, health literacy, pharmacy business metrics, inventory management, human resources, quality improvement, and change management.
Core rules
- The Transtheoretical Model describes stages of change: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance. Match the intervention to the stage; do not jump to action planning with a precontemplator.
- The Health Belief Model emphasizes perceived susceptibility, severity, benefits, barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy.
- Adherence is influenced by cost, side effects, regimen complexity, beliefs, mental health, and access; assess before labeling a patient "non-compliant."
- Inventory turnover = cost of goods sold / average inventory; days of supply = 365 / turnover. Higher turnover generally means less capital tied up, but stockouts can hurt care.
- Quality improvement uses the Model for Improvement: aim, measures, changes; test with PDSA cycles.
- Administrative decisions must balance patient safety, access, staff wellbeing, and financial viability.
Worked example
A 58-year-old with hypertension stopped taking a statin after 3 weeks because of muscle aches. He believes "statins damage the liver" and is worried about cost. Using the Health Belief Model, explore perceived barriers (cost, fear), provide evidence about the actual risk of myopathy, and discuss alternatives. Using motivational interviewing, ask open-ended questions and affirm his decision to prioritize health. If he is in contemplation, do not push a fixed plan; build readiness. Check CK only if symptoms are severe, and consider a lower dose, alternate statin, or ezetimibe. Document the shared decision and follow-up.
Traps
Do not equate nonadherence with ignorance; do not use fear-based messages; do not skip cost and access; do not apply action-stage counseling to a patient who has not decided to change; do not confuse inventory turnover with gross margin; do not implement a change without a measure and a feedback loop.