The study of the state of awareness of pharmaceutical workers regarding coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Abstract

Aim. To analyze and summarize the results of a questionnaire on the state of awareness of pharmaceutical workers in the Western regions of Ukraine about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Materials and methods. The results of a survey of pharmacy managers, pharmacists and interns working in pharmacies in 8 regions of the Western area of Ukraine were used. The survey of respondents lasted 12 months: December 2021 – December 2022. A special questionnaire was developed to determine the level of knowledge about the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Results and discussion. With the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, COVID-19 practically disappeared from the information space and ceased to be an urgent issue for Ukrainians. However, in recent weeks, the Ministry of Health has recorded an increase in the number of hospitalizations due to the coronavirus disease. During the period of martial law and the coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19), the pharmacy is the most accessible healthcare institution for the population and ranks first in terms of the number of citizens’ requests for symptoms, methods of treatment and prevention of SARS-CoV-2, therefore, the awareness of pharmacists – practitioners about COVID-19 is very important to provide complete and high-quality pharmaceutical care to patients. A review of the specialized scientific literature over the past 5 years confirmed the lack of studies on the level of awareness of pharmaceutical workers about the symptoms, methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of the main diseases that are widespread in the Western regions of Ukraine. With the help of a questionnaire, we conducted an expert assessment of the level of knowledge of pharmacy managers, pharmacists and interns working in pharmacy institutions in 8 regions of the Western area of Ukraine regarding the main symptoms, methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of uncomplicated forms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). After analyzing the answers of the respondents, it can be assumed that pharmaceutical workers know the main manifestations of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and are oriented towards the threatening indicators of the patient’s condition. It causes concern that some respondents incorrectly determine the reasons for prescribing antibacterial therapy to a patient, which can lead to incorrect recommendations and advice during the implementation of pharmaceutical care, however, the introduction of electronic prescriptions for dispensing antimicrobial drugs and information and educational work with pharmaceutical workers should correct the situation. Conclusions. In our opinion, it is promising to conduct further research to improve the level of knowledge and competencies of pharmaceutical workers during their specialization courses and thematic improvement in the system of continuous professional development