Attitudes of community pharmacists towards extending their professional roles in Oman.

Abstract

Over the last few decades, the pharmacy profession has witnessed a substantial evolution accompanied by the developing role of community pharmacists (CPs). Evidence indicates that extending the role of CPs contributes to fostering public health outcomes. However, in many countries, their role is still underused. To extend the role of CPs in Oman, it is crucial to understand their perception and determine the influences. This study determines the willingness of CPs in Oman to extend their role and assess their perception towards barriers. A cross-sectional study was conducted across Oman using an online self-administered survey targeting CPs working in the private sector. Generally, respondents welcomed broadening their professional role. However, among the top perceived barriers were shortage of staff, insufficient training, lack of interconnection between CPs and physicians, and regulation constraints. Different socio-demographic characteristics of respondents showed a noticeable impact on their responses. CPs welcomed extending their role. However, several obstacles were raised that need to be tackled to enable CPs to advance their role.