Introduction: The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is increasing and some of this CAM is purchased as self-directed treatmentfor stress, a practice that may be very useful but dangerous if incorrectly applied. This paper reports on the findings of an Australian qualitative study involving semistructured interviews to explore factors in the decision-making process of pharmacy customers purchasing over-the-counter CAM products for stress.

Methods: Interview questions were based on the CAM Healthcare Model which takes into account a broad range of factors including values, beliefs and personal factors.

Results: We report that thematic analysis of the data illustrated four core concepts: CAM was the participants’ first choice, self-sought information was always checked, a willingness or desire to tell their doctor was evident and there was a level of dissatisfaction with conventional healthcare. These concepts align closely with the personal trait of self-care ability/tendency which, on closer examination, manifests in the key theme, the need for control.Conclusions: The findings illustrate important aspects of the decision-making process in purchasing CAM products for stress and point to areas of future research for pharmacists and pharmacy educators.

Conclusions: The findings illustrate important aspects of the decision-making process in purchasing CAM products for stress and point to areas of future research for pharmacists and pharmacy educators.