Abstract
ObjectiveTo assess the determinants of community pharmacists’ information gathering and counseling practices during the management of minor ailments in Qatar. MethodA cross-sectional study of 305 community pharmacists was conducted with a pre-tested 27-item questionnaire. Bivariate logistic regression was used to identify the determinants of information gathering and counseling practices. ResultsThe response rate was 92.5% (282/305). A majority of the respondents (68.1%) were males, within the age range of 31–40 years (55.3%), work for chains pharmacies (77.3%), and were predominantly of foreign nationalities (94.7%). Patients’ identity (91.1%), age (92.2%), symptoms (92.6%) and duration of symptoms (89.3%) were most frequent information gathered, while dose (99%), frequency (97.8%), route of administration (95.7%), and duration of use (92.9%) were the most frequent counseling information. Median information gathering score was significantly higher in females and among community pharmacists in chain pharmacies (p < 0.05), while median counseling practice scores were significantly higher among in chain pharmacies (p < 0.05). Consultation time of 6–10 min (OR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.02–3.0, p = 0.04) and female gender (OR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.16–3.79, p = 0.01) were significant determinants of information gathering, while age group (31–40 years) (OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.05–3.22, p = 0.03) and consultation time (6–10 min) (OR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.31–3.86, p = 0.003) were significant determinants of counseling practices. ConclusionThe significant determinants of community pharmacists’ Information gathering and counseling practices during the management of minor ailments were female gender and consultation time (6–10 min), and age group (31–40 years) and consultation time (6–10 min) respectively.
Highlights
Community pharmacists are trusted healthcare professionals with adequate competency to manage the effective and safe use of medications at the primary care level
Consultation time of 6–10 min (OR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.02– 3.0, p = 0.04) and female gender (OR = 2.10, 95% CI: 1.16–3.79, p = 0.01) were significant determinants of information gathering, while age group (31–40 years) (OR = 1.84, 95% CI: 1.05–3.22, p = 0.03) and consultation time (6–10 min) (OR = 2.24, 95% CI: 1.31–3.86, p = 0.003) were significant determinants of counseling practices
The result of Shapiro Wilk test for the information gathering and counseling practices score showed non-normal distribution (0.87, p < 0.001) and this was taken into consideration in the choice of descriptive and inferential statistical methods for analysis
Summary
Community pharmacists are trusted healthcare professionals with adequate competency to manage the effective and safe use of medications at the primary care level. Production and hosting by Elsevier uncomplicated and can be handled with guided self-medication or self-care (Morgan, 2017, You et al, 2011) This is due to their geographic availability and neighborhood presence, the ease of social access and their perception by patients as trusted and ethical healthcare professional (Coelho and Costa, 2014, WHO, 1988). The combination of these factors provide an excellent opportunity for timely access to functional care and appropriate counseling that may enhance effective and safe management of minor ailments (WHO, 2009, Hughes, 2004, RPSGB, 2018). Several studies have reported the positive impact of community pharmacists’ involvement in the management of minor ailments, and these include high rates of symptom resolution, lower treatment costs, adequate patient satisfaction with service delivery, reduction of patient delays and more efficient use of healthcare resources (Watson et al, 2014, Watson et al, 2015, Paudyal et al, 2013, Porteous et al, 2006)
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