• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, September 4, 2012

When it comes to choosing a pharmacy, consumers say the pharmacist plays a key role in where they fill their prescriptions, a new study from AccentHealth reports. The thing is, they just don’t talk to them very often.

The vast majority of consumers -- 92% -- say they have a preferred pharmacy. And while two-thirds say the man or woman in white is one of the key reasons they make their selection, only a third say they often interact with them. 

“The pharmacist is really important and valuable to the consumer,” Andrew Schulman, VP marketing for the waiting-room television network, tells Marketing Daily. “But this really is a case of perception versus reality. They just don’t interact very much.”

Those using independent pharmacists are much more likely to do so, at 52%, while 31% of those using grocery pharmacies do. But those getting their prescriptions filled at mass stores, such as Walmart or Target, are least likely to do so, the study finds.

Schulman points out that chains like Target, CVS and Walgreens have made significant investments in trying to figure out just how consumers want to interact with pharmacy professionals, “like having the pharmacist come out from behind the counter and go through aisles with you.”

He also points out that both grocery stores, which are expanding their health and wellness options, and drug chains, which are offering more food and non-drug items, are chasing the same goal: “It’s all about getting the shopper to spend more time in the store while they are waiting for prescriptions to be filled,” he says. “It will be interesting to see who wins this battle.”

Convenience or location is important to 63%, and 46% say they make their selection based on price. AccentHealth, which airs in more than 12,300 physician offices, based its findings on responses from 4,000 adults in 40 states.