Tobacco cessation through community pharmacies: Knowledge, attitudes, practices and perceived barriers among pharmacists in Penang

Abstract

Objectives: Tobacco cessation is the primary goal of tobacco control measures. Community pharmacists are possible providers of tobacco cessation counselling due to their close contact with the public and the availability of non-prescription nicotine replacement therapies in pharmacies. However, community pharmacists often do not provide tobacco cessation interventions. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, practices and perceived barriers to tobacco cessation counselling among community pharmacists in Penang, Malaysia. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Community pharmacies on Penang Island. Methods: A self-administered questionnaires were distributed to 107 registered pharmacists practising in community settings on Penang Island. Results: The response rate was 79.4% (85/107), with very few (16/85, 18.8%) reporting participation in the certified tobacco cessation training. Among the respondents, 27.1% had high, 44.7% had moderate and 28.2% had high levels of knowledge, and those who attended the certified training displayed higher levels of knowledge of nicotine replacement therapies ( p < 0.05). Most respondents showed positive attitudes towards tobacco cessation. However, the practice of tobacco cessation counselling based on the 5 As method was limited mainly to advising patients to quit smoking. The main barriers to tobacco cessation counselling included a lack of patient demand (71.8%), lack of education materials (69.4%) and lack of time (68.2%). Conclusions: More effort should be made to increase participation of community pharmacists in tobacco cessation continuing education, and strategies should be formulated to overcome barriers to tobacco cessation practice.