LM106 - Update on OTC Hearing Aids at the Community Pharmacy

Abstract:
Two years after OTC hearing aids became a reality, interested pharmacists have adopted various models of sales and support. This presentation, from a pharmacist and an audiologist, will summarize results from our recent research projects exploring pharmacists' engagement with OTC hearing aids. Presenters will highlight data from a Secret Shopper study and from interviews with pharmacists, nationwide. Pharmacist/audiologist collaboration will be discussed, based on GIS (Geographic Information System) maps of co-located audiology and pharmacy schools and practices. In 2024, the University of Pittsburgh inaugural Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid and Self-Care Symposium took place. Highlights of this collaborative meeting will be presented.

Summary:
Two years after OTC hearing aids became a reality, interested pharmacists have adopted various models of sales and support. This session will be co-presented by a pharmacist and an audiologist. The presentation will summarize results from a series of our recent research projects exploring pharmacists' engagement in the OTC hearing aid market. In a Secret Shopper study, research assistants posed as customers phoning pharmacies to ask a series of questions about OTC hearing aids. The questions addressed 1) whether the pharmacy sold them, 2) whether anyone at the pharmacy could help a customer set the hearing aids up, and 3) if no to the first two questions, did the pharmacy personnel know of a local audiologist who could help with their hearing loss. Importantly, nearly 70% of the pharmacies contacted were unable to recommend an audiologist who could help. Implications of these data will be discussed in the context of the potential for referrals for care. Another study, involving semi-structured interviews with pharmacists across the US, revealed the breadth and depth of knowledge they have about OTC hearing aids. Results of these interviews, based on content analysis, will be explained and discussed. Suggestions and tools for educating and collaborating with pharmacists will be presented. Further discussion of potential collaboration between audiologists and pharmacists will be based on GIS (Geographic Information System) maps of co-located audiology and pharmacy schools and professionals. The role of proximity in collaboration will be discussed and illustrated for educational institutions and for practicing professionals. These GIS maps show compelling evidence that most consumers/patients are in significantly closer proximity to pharmacists than they are to audiologists.

In 2024, the University of Pittsburgh inaugural Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid and Self-Care Symposium attracted pharmacy and hearing clinicians, researchers, and industry leaders to examine and discuss OTC hearing aids from a variety of perspectives. Some of the highlights included a description of models of OTC hearing aid dispensing in a pharmacy, the dispensing of OTC hearing aids in rural hearing aid deserts, and the consumer journey of self-care through the OTC hearing aid pathway. These highlights and other takeaways from the symposium will be summarized and discussed during this session. Participants will engage in interactive polling and discussion throughout the presentation. Audience members will leave with tools to engage with pharmacists to collaboratively extend the reach of hearing healthcare.

Brief Summary of Clinical Takeaways:
The clinical takeaway for this session is: Many pharmacists are more interested in knowing where and how to make an audiology referral than to sell OTC hearing aids. Audiology practices may benefit from collaboration with pharmacists who are now learning about OTC hearing aids and hearing loss.