Diffusion of innovations of digital and remote services in Finnish community pharmacies during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic: A National Survey.

AIM: To examine Finnish community pharmacy owners' readiness to adopt innovations and its association with implementation of digital and remote services during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (December 2019-October 2020).

METHODS: A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted among all private community pharmacy owners in Finland in October-November 2020. A study-specific electronic questionnaire assessed changes in digital and remote service provision. Innovation readiness was measured using a validated instrument based on Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations theory, and pharmacies were classified as early or late adopters. Data were analysed using chi-square tests, Wilcoxon signed-rank tests, and multivariable ordinal logistic regression.

RESULTS: Responses were received from 175 of 619 pharmacies (28%). Remote service provision increased significantly. Availability of medicine pick-up lockers rose from 21% to 39% (p < 0.001), while online pharmacy services increased from 25% to 34% (p < 0.001). According to Rogers' adopter categories, 43% of pharmacies were classified as early adopters. These pharmacies offered a broader range of digital services than late adopters (p < 0.01). Innovation readiness was higher among pharmacy owners younger than 50 years than among those aged 50-59 years (p = 0.009) and ≥60 years (p = 0.039). Pharmacies dispensing more than 100,000 prescriptions annually showed greater willingness to adopt innovations than those dispensing fewer than 40,000 (p = 0.016). Innovation readiness was significantly associated with remote service adoption.

CONCLUSIONS: Finnish community pharmacies rapidly expanded digital and remote services in response to COVID-19. Innovation readiness was an important determinant of service development, although the low response rate may have overestimated innovativeness.