Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research

Original Research Article | OPEN ACCESS

Preferences for participating in a new community pharmacy alcohol brief intervention in Thailand: Discrete choice experiment with assessment of external validity

Sukunta Muadthong¹, Nusaraporn Kessomboon²

¹Sirindhorn College of Public Health Khon Kaen, Faculty of Public Health and Allied Health Sciences, Royal Institute Office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 40000, Thailand; ²Division of Social and Administrative Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.

For correspondence:- Nusaraporn Kessomboon Email: nusatati@gmail.com Tel:+6643362094

Accepted: 5 January 2022 Published: 31 January 2022

Citation: Muadthong S, Kessomboon N. Preferences for participating in a new community pharmacy alcohol brief intervention in Thailand: Discrete choice experiment with assessment of external validity. Trop J Pharm Res 2022; 21(1):159-167 doi: 10.4314/tjpr.v21i1.24

© 2022 The authors.
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Abstract

Purpose: To explore the clients’ preferences for brief alcohol intervention features delivered by community pharmacists, and to evaluate the external validity of discrete choice experiment (DCE) by comparing predicted choices with actual choices.

Methods: A generic DCE questionnaire was filled out by 300 drinking clients selected by nine community pharmacists based on convenience sampling. Respondents made repeated choices between two hypothetical ABI alternatives according to five attributes, and a third alternative of no participation. One choice task was added to test choice rationality. Choice data were analyzed using a mixed logit model. The predicted choice external validity assessment of DCE was compared to actual participation at the population and individual levels.

Results: A total of 162 customers from one pharmacy who passed the choice rationality test were included in the preference model. Most attributes in the model were significant at the 5 % level, influencing participation in the ABI service. The aggregate decision to participate in the ABI service was minimally overestimated by the DCE model. At the individual level, a lower accuracy was observed.

Conclusion: The results provide useful information for policymakers to implement the alcohol-related problem prevention strategy in community pharmacies in Thailand. Future research may require an establishment of the DCE model's external validity to incorporate terms of interaction and assess why the participants did not do as they had decided.

Keywords: Discrete choice experiment, External validity, Alcohol brief intervention, Community pharmacist