Predicting Tobacco Sales in Community Pharmacies Using Population Demographics and Pharmacy Type

doi:10.1331/154434506777069507

Journal of the American Pharmacists Association

Volume 46, Issue 3, May–June 2006, Pages 385-390

https://doi.org/10.1331/154434506777069507 Get rights and content

ABSTRACT

Objective

To determine whether the population demographics of the location of pharmacies were associated with tobacco sales in pharmacies, when controlling for pharmacy type.

Design

Retrospective analysis.

Setting

Iowa.

Participants

All retailers in Iowa that obtained tobacco licenses and all pharmacies registered with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy in 2003.

Main Outcome Measure and Interventions

Percentage of pharmacies selling tobacco (examined by pharmacy type using chi-square analysis); median income and distribution of race/ethnicity in the county for pharmacies that did or did not sell tobacco (t tests); predictors of whether a pharmacy sold tobacco (logistic regression using the independent variables county-level demographic variables and pharmacy characteristics).

Results

County gender composition, race/ethnicity make-up, and income levels were different for tobacco-selling and -nonselling pharmacies. Logistic regression showed that whether a pharmacy sold tobacco was strongly dependent on the type of pharmacy; compared with independent pharmacies (of which only 5% sold tobacco products), chain pharmacies were 34 times more likely to sell tobacco products, mass merchandiser outlets were 47 times more likely to stock these goods, and grocery stores were 378 times more likely to do so. Pharmacies selling tobacco were more likely to be located in counties with significantly higher numbers of multiracial groups.

Conclusion

The best predictor of whether an Iowa pharmacy sells tobacco products is type of pharmacy. In multivariable analyses, population demographics of the county in which pharmacies were located were generally not predictive of whether a pharmacy sold tobacco.

Section snippets

Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine whether an association exists between the population demographic characteristics of a pharmacy's location and tobacco sales in that pharmacy when controlling for pharmacy type. We expected the sale of tobacco to be higher in mass merchandiser, grocery, and chain pharmacies.

Methods

Two different data sets were used in this study. The first contained information on all retailers in Iowa that obtained tobacco licenses in 2003. The retailers were organized by the type of retail store (e.g., department store, gas station, pharmacy). The data set also contained the addresses with ZIP codes and county of location. The second data set, from the Iowa Pharmacy Association, contained a list of all pharmacies registered with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy in 2003. It also contained

Results

In all, 778 nonhospital pharmacies were located in Iowa in 2003, including 169 (22%) chain pharmacies, 88 (11%) pharmacies located in grocery stores, 109 (14%) pharmacies located in mass merchandiser settings, 342 (44%) independent pharmacies, and 70 (9%) franchise pharmacies. None of the franchise pharmacies sold tobacco, and they were therefore excluded from logistic regression analyses.

Pharmacies located in grocery stores and mass merchandisers were most likely to sell tobacco (Figure 1).

Discussion

Our results show that the decision to sell tobacco in pharmacies is based on the type of pharmacy and not the demographics of the patients or consumers that the pharmacy serves. This finding is somewhat surprising because when all retail outlets in Iowa were examined in Peterson et al., population characteristics, particularly race/ethnicity and income, did affect whether outlets sold tobacco.⁹ Our finding may be explained by possibly greater corporate ownership among pharmacies than among

Limitations

These results are only generalizable to states where similar population characteristics are evident, but our approach provides a model for other researchers. Given the strong findings related to type of pharmacy, these results are likely generalizable, although the magnitude of the effect may vary with different population characteristics. We used county-level demographic data in which the pharmacy was located to predict whether the pharmacy sold tobacco. This approach assumes that individuals

Conclusion

On the basis of previous studies, we hypothesized that the demographic characteristics of populations of the areas where pharmacies were located would predict whether the pharmacy sold tobacco. In our multivariate analyses, percentage of county residents of multiracial origins and pharmacy type predicted whether the pharmacy sold tobacco. Pharmacy type was a much stronger predictor than any of the demographic variables we tested, with nearly all grocery stores, most mass merchandiser outlets,

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: Disclosure: The authors declare no conflicts of interest or financial interests in any products or services mentioned in this article, including grants, employment, gifts, stock holdings, or honoraria.

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RESEARCHPredicting Tobacco Sales in Community Pharmacies Using Population Demographics and Pharmacy Type

ABSTRACT

Objective

Design

Setting

Participants

Main Outcome Measure and Interventions

Results

Conclusion

Section snippets

Objective

Methods

Results

Discussion

Limitations

Conclusion

J Am Pharm Assoc

J Am Pharm Assoc

Am Pharm

J Am Pharm Assoc

Cancer Facts and Figures—2005

The chain pharmacy industry profile 2004

Iowa pharmacists working in tobacco-free pharmacies

J Iowa Pharm Assoc

RESEARCH
Predicting Tobacco Sales in Community Pharmacies Using Population Demographics and Pharmacy Type