Development and Evaluation of Tuberculosis Case Detection and Management Training for Community Pharmacists in Lagos, Nigeria

Abstract

Training enhances efficiency and develops a systematic way of performing duties. Community pharmacists are well-positioned as safety nets and can be trained to play a significant role in halting the progression of Tuberculosis (TB) disease. The study aimed at developing and evaluating the appropriateness of TB case detection and management training for community pharmacists in Lagos State, Nigeria. A one-day training to identify and refer individuals with TB symptoms to diagnostic facilities, was developed, conducted, and evaluated on a 5-point Likert scale, a semi-structured questionnaire, that was administered to 285 randomly sampled respondents. Participants’ opinion was rated on the training content, resource persons, and sufficiency of the training. The results of pre and post-tests were manually analyzed. Quantitative data were coded and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences Version 17. Descriptive statistics: percentage, frequency, mean and standard deviation were also used to analyze the data. Open-ended responses were analyzed thematically. The response rate was 67.02%. Respondents strongly agreed (47.37%) and agreed (46.05%) that the training was sufficient to enable community pharmacies to provide TB services in their pharmacy. Respondents expressed themselves on what they valued most about the training and made recommendations to improve and ensure the progress of the intervention. Exposure of community pharmacists to appropriate training significantly increased their knowledge in TB case detection and management. The training was fit for the purpose it was designed for. Community pharmacists could be a valuable asset in the prevention and control of TB in Nigeria. Keywords: Evaluation, Pharmacists, Training, Tuberculosis.