Exploring the Role of Community Pharmacists in Weight Management in Qatar: A Mixed Methods study

Abstract

Aim: Obesity is a major public health burden in Qatar. Pharmacists can play an important role in providing weight management services (WMS). This study aimed to explore the attitude, practice, perceived competence and role of community pharmacists in obesity and WMS in Qatar. Methods: A mixed-method explanatory sequential design was applied in the study. A validated online questionnaire was used followed by qualitative one-to-one interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using Statistical Package of Social Sciences Version 24, while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Of 600 randomly selected community pharmacists, 270 completed the survey (response rate 45%). More than half of the pharmacists indicated that they often or always explain to patients the risks associated with overweight and obesity (56.2%), recommend weight loss medications, herbs or dietary supplements (52.4%), and counsel about their proper use and/or side effects (56.9%). Conversely, a large proportion of the pharmacists rarely or never measure patients’ waist circumference (83.8%) or calculate their body mass index (72.1%). Over 80% had very positive attitudes towards their role in weight management. Around three-quarters of the participants agreed or strongly agreed that difficulty in following-up with the patient (80.7%), lack of private consultation area (75.7%) and lack of pharmacist time (75.2%) are barriers for implementing WMS. More than 60% stated that they are fully competent in 7 out of 24 WMS related statements. Some emerging include pharmacist’s role and impact in weight management, need for training about weight management, impact of social media on patients’ perceptions, and adoption of best practices for WMS. Conclusion: Qatar pharmacists reported positive attitudes towards provision of WMS. However, they identified several barriers against provision of comprehensive weight management programs. Several strategies are proposed to overcome barriers and to improve provision of WMS in community pharmacies in Qatar.