Participating in the SOPS Community Pharmacy Survey Database

The SOPS^® Community Pharmacy Database is a central repository for survey data from community pharmacies in the United States or in a U.S. territory that administer the AHRQ survey and choose to submit their data. The SOPS Community Pharmacy Database Report presents aggregated results for all participating community pharmacies as well as results by community pharmacy and respondent characteristics. Each participating community pharmacy also receives a feedback report comparing their results with the Database.

A community pharmacy can be an independent pharmacy, a chain pharmacy, grocery store or supermarket pharmacy, mass merchandiser pharmacy, or neighborhood drug store pharmacy. A pharmacy chain may have multiple pharmacies or stores in different locations, but each unique location would be considered a separate pharmacy for survey administration and data submission purposes and would have a unique site identifier.

How To Participate in the Database

Organizations that want to participate in the ASC Survey Database will be asked to register for an account  and provide the following information:

• Pharmacy NPI number and pharmacy characteristics, such as pharmacy type, number of locations, and number of prescriptions per week.
• A copy of the survey(s) actually administered for review and approval.
• Data Use Agreement, which assures pharmacies about the confidentiality of their data and explains how their data will be used.
• Respondent-level survey data following the appropriate data file specifications for each pharmacy site. Each pharmacy, including those from a system, is considered a separate pharmacy for submission purposes and must be submitted with a unique site identification number.

Visit the Community Pharmacy Survey Database Submission System for additional information and specifications and to register to submit data.

Community Pharmacy Survey Database Submission System

Requirements To Participate in the Database

All submissions of survey data to the SOPS Community Pharmacy Database must comply with the following guidelines to be included in the Database:

• Administer the SOPS Community Pharmacy Survey in its entirety without modifications or deletions to the core* survey items.
• Do not change the core survey item text and/or response options. Changes can only be made to the background questions at the end of the survey. If staff positions are modified, they need to be cross-walked back to the original survey categories before submitting data.
• Do not reorder core survey items.
• Be sure to include any definitions of terms, subheadings, and instructions in the survey.
• Do not insert new items or supplemental items within the core survey—they should only be added toward the end of the survey, right before the background questions.

*Note: Core survey items are the survey items in Sections A-E. The core does not include background questions at the end of the survey.

To determine whether a survey is acceptable for submission to the SOPS Community Pharmacy Database prior to survey administration, email a copy of the survey to DatabasesOnSafetyCulture@westat.com for review.

Contact Information

For free technical assistance and support, contact the SOPS Database team:

• Email: DatabasesOnSafetyCulture@westat.com
• Phone: 1-888-324-9790.