Abstract
The pharmacist's role in the community is currently directed towards providing drug information and patient care rather than drug compounding and dispensing. Patient counseling is an essential skill for pharmacists. So as to improve the pharmacist role in the community and enhance the patient's education and counseling skills, many continuing education programs are established. The aim of this study is to assess the perceptions and tendency of community pharmacists in Iraq regarding patients counseling and continuing pharmacists’ educational programs.
Highlights
Most pharmacists in Iraq are working in hospitals and community pharmacies to provide pharmaceutical care services to patients [1]
This study provided a clue that the majority of community pharmacists in Iraq had an optimistic perception towards patients counseling and continuing pharmacy education programs
The number of pharmacists in Iraq is greatly increased as a result of an increase in the number of Pharmacy Colleges in the last two decades [8], there is a very limited number of continuing pharmacy education programs which does not reflect the dramatic changes in the pharmacy profession in Iraq
Summary
Most pharmacists in Iraq are working in hospitals and community pharmacies to provide pharmaceutical care services to patients [1]. Patient counseling is regarded as an essential skill for pharmacists to interact positively with patients besides in many countries, it is mandatory [3] doctors are regarded as the first source of information about the medicines for the patients most doctors rarely assess patients understanding when giving medications information despite the importance of doing this [4]. The term “continuing education” has been defined as “organized learning experiences and activities in which (health care professionals) engage after they have completed entry-level academic education and training These experiences are designed to promote the continuous development of the skills, attitudes, and knowledge needed to maintain proficiency, provide quality service or products, respond to patient needs, and keep abreast of change”(6). The study evaluates the perceptions and tendency of Iraqi pharmacists to participate in continuing pharmacists’ educational programs
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