Effect of Insecurity on the Provision of Pharmaceutical Care in Akwa Ibom State: The Community Pharmacist’s Perspective

Abstract

Background: Pharmaceutical care is an important aspect of healthcare provided by pharmacists which is associated with good clinical outcomes and improved quality of life. Robberies and insecurities is a common occurrence in community pharmacies and when left unchecked can have economic, financial consequences and also influence the provision of care. The aim of this study was to assess the perceived effect of insecurity on the provision of pharmaceutical care in community pharmacies in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Methods: This study was a cross sectional survey among community pharmacists in community pharmacies in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. All community pharmacies in Uyo metropolis were visited and an informed consent was obtained from the pharmacists before the beginning of the study. A semistructured questionnaire was used in the collection of data in this study. The questionnaire evaluated the perceived effect of the current robberies on pharmaceutical care where the evaluation statements were structured in Likert scale format. Results: A total of 76 pharmacists consented to participate in the study where 56 (73.7%) were males and 20 were females. The mean age of the study participants was 28.25±1.543 years and 82.9% of the participants had 1-10 years’ community pharmacy experience. Majority of the pharmacists agreed that insecurity has hindered history taking (52%), blood pressure checks (84.2%), patient counselling (80.2%) and decreased sales (52.6%). Conclusion: There is a negative perceived effect of recent insecurities on the provision of pharmaceutical care services and sales. This aspect should be explored in further studies and research.