Assessment of a computerised decision support system for allergic rhino-conjunctivitis counselling in German pharmacy

Objective In a prospective two-phase intervention study we evaluated a newly developed computerised pharmacy decision support system (PDSS) for the counselling of patients with allergic rhinitis and conjunctivitis. Method Community pharmacists were invited to counsel a virtual patient in a first interview. Immediately thereafter, we trained pharmacists to operate the PDSS, which they applied in a second patient interview immediately following the training. We assessed the completeness of mandatory questions asked as defined by national guidelines. Results Participating pharmacists ( n = 50, 78% female, mean age 34 [IQR: 27–40] years, 8 [2–14.5] years of practical experience, 32% specialised in community pharmacy) asked considerably more mandatory questions to confirm appropriateness of self-medication with 7 (5.25–9; 78%) from 9 questions compared to 2 (1–3; 22%) without PDSS (median; P