Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Impact of guideline awareness in public pharmacies on couns eling of patients with acute 
or chronic constipation in a survey of pharmacy personnel  
 
Version: 1 Date: 16 Apr 2020  
 
Reviewer: Giuseppe Chiarioni  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
I read with interest the MS "Impact of guideline awareness in public pharmacies o n counseling 
of patients with acute or chronic constipation in a survey of pharmacy personnel" by Ederlin M 
and coworkers. Over -the-counter Tx is commonly first choice for constipation and the 
Pharmacist is front -line for best approach. This study is well organized and developed, thus 
supprting the extensive use of guidelines at all level of care to improve constipation 
management. I have no major point about it. I wonder whether Authors feel that a dedicated App 
for mobiles could be of help and I would lik e to have their view shared in the discussion. No 
other suggestions on this side.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following question s: 
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or salary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financial ly from the publication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
2. Do you hold any stocks or sha res in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents  relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
4. Have you re ceived reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have  no competing interest s' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I h ave no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understan d that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted f or publication, my named report 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons 
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do not wis h to be included in my named report can be in cluded as confidential comments 
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Impact of guideline awareness in public pharmacies on couns eling of patients with acute 
or chronic constipation in a survey of pharmacy personnel  
 
Version: 1 Date: 16 Apr 2020  
 
Reviewer: Giuseppe Chiarioni  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
I read with interest the MS "Impact of guideline awareness in public pharmacies o n counseling 
of patients with acute or chronic constipation in a survey of pharmacy personnel" by Ederlin M 
and coworkers. Over -the-counter Tx is commonly first choice for constipation and the 
Pharmacist is front -line for best approach. This study is well organized and developed, thus 
supprting the extensive use of guidelines at all level of care to improve constipation 
management. I have no major point about it. I wonder whether Authors feel that a dedicated App 
for mobiles could be of help and I would lik e to have their view shared in the discussion. No 
other suggestions on this side.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following question s: 
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or salary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financial ly from the publication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
2. Do you hold any stocks or sha res in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents  relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
4. Have you re ceived reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have  no competing interest s' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I h ave no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understan d that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted f or publication, my named report 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons 
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do not wis h to be included in my named report can be in cluded as confidential comments 
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Impact of guideline awareness in public pharmacies on couns eling of patients with acute 
or chronic constipation in a survey of pharmacy personnel  
 
Version: 1 Date: 16 Apr 2020  
 
Reviewer: Giuseppe Chiarioni  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
I read with interest the MS "Impact of guideline awareness in public pharmacies o n counseling 
of patients with acute or chronic constipation in a survey of pharmacy personnel" by Ederlin M 
and coworkers. Over -the-counter Tx is commonly first choice for constipation and the 
Pharmacist is front -line for best approach. This study is well organized and developed, thus 
supprting the extensive use of guidelines at all level of care to improve constipation 
management. I have no major point about it. I wonder whether Authors feel that a dedicated App 
for mobiles could be of help and I would lik e to have their view shared in the discussion. No 
other suggestions on this side.  
 
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, please specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supported by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manus cript or would you recommend an 
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please speci fy what aspects require further 
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
I am able to assess the statistics  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Acceptable  
 
Declaration of competing interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following question s: 
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, f ees, funding, or salary from an 
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financial ly from the publication of this 
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
2. Do you hold any stocks or sha res in an organisation t hat may in any way gain or lose 
financially from the publication of this manuscript, either now or in the future?  
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents  relating to the content of the 
manuscript?  
4. Have you re ceived reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds or has applied for patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
 
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have  no competing interest s' 
below. If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I h ave no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understan d that my name will be included 
on my report to the authors and, if the manuscript is accepted f or publication, my named report 
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors' 
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under an Open Access Creative Commons 
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments 
which I do not wis h to be included in my named report can be in cluded as confidential comments 
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal  
assistant