Attitudes Of Community Pharmacists Research Articles

Knowledge and Attitude of Community Pharmacists Toward Cow Milk Protein Allergy Complications and Treatment in Children: A Cross-Sectional Study in Sudan.

Cow's milk protein allergy is the most frequent type of food allergy in newborns and young children. It affects numerous body systems. A community pharmacist possessing adequate knowledge and appropriate practices is crucial for the management of the disease. : This study aimed to assess the knowledge and attitude of community pharmacists toward the complications and treatment of cow milk protein allergy. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 332 randomly selected community pharmacists in the Capital of Sudan (Khartoum state). Data were collected using a validated and internally consistent (Cronbach Alpha = 0.712) self-administered questionnaire Descriptive statistics and Chi-square analysis were conducted using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 25. The response rate was 95.8%, and about 47.8% of the population had 1-5 years of experience as community pharmacists, and 37.4% of them had a post-graduate degree. Only 30.8% of respondents had good knowledge, while 40.6% had poor knowledge, and 28.6% had scored as having fair knowledge of complications of Cow's milk protein allergy. Regarding knowledge toward treatment, 65.1% of respondents had a poor knowledge, 24.5% had fair knowledge, and only 10.4% had good knowledge. Overall, 39.62% of participants had a positive attitude, and 60.38% had a negative attitude toward this disease. Data analysis showed no significant association between the sociodemographic characteristics of respondents and their knowledge and attitude. Community pharmacists in Khartoum State had inadequate knowledge and attitude about the complications and treatment of cow milk protein allergy. As a result, we recommend the implementation of strategies to raise pharmacists' knowledge and attitude.

Perception, attitude and stigma of community pharmacists toward patients with mental disorders: a cross-sectional study

One of the potential barriers to providing pharmaceutical care services to patients with mental disorders is stigma. Therefore, this study aims to explore the perception, attitude and stigma of community pharmacists toward patients with mental disorders in Indonesia. A self-report questionnaire was used including a convenience sample of 1,878 Indonesian community pharmacists from January to March 2023. The regression analyses showed that the perception in confidence level was significantly affected by age (95% CL :0.468-0.851; p-value:0.003) and work experience (95% CL: 1.205-2.284; p-value :0.002). Furthermore, age also affected the attitude of the community pharmacists towards patients with mental disorders (95% CL: 0.705-0.985; p-value: 0.033). Gender and a history of mental illness in a family member or a close friend contributed significantly to social distance (95% CL: 0.584-0.937; p-value: 0.013 and 95% CL: 1.212-1.779; p-value: <0.001, respectively). However, the self-disclosure of pharmacists about mental disorders remained unfavourable. In conclusion, this study found that majority of respondents had good perception and a low level of stigma towards patients with mental disorders. Based on the results, the continuous promotion of mental health awareness and education is recommended. In addition, sharing the personal experiences of individuals with mental disorders is essential for reducing self-stigma. Further studies are required to support service development in this field.

Community Pharmacists’ Knowledge, Attitudes, and Barriers Toward Prescribing Probiotics in Aseer Region, Saudi Arabia

Probiotics are living microorganisms that, when consumed in sufficient quantities, provide health benefits to the individual. The level of knowledge and attitudes of community pharmacists toward probiotics has not been reported yet. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the knowledge and attitudes regarding probiotics among community pharmacists practicing in Aseer Region of Saudi Arabia. The study design involved a cross-sectional approach, where a questionnaire was used as the data collection tool. Descriptive analysis was conducted to analyze the sociodemographic data. Categorical variables were reported as frequencies and percentages, while continuous variables were presented as means and standard deviations. Out of 252 surveys distributed, 224 participants completed the survey (response rate: 88.88%). Most of the respondents were male (89.73%) who aged between 20 and 30 years (69.64%). More than half of the participants hold Pharm.D degree (53.13%) and most of them work in chain pharmacies (84.38%). The main source of participants’ information regarding probiotics was trusted medical sources (58.48%), followed by social media platforms (25.45%). More than half of the participants answered the definition of probiotics correctly (54.47%), and most of them know the difference between which bacterial strain may be harmful (75%). It is important to utilize the data for enhancing curricula in health programs and promoting the integration of clinical training on the use of probiotics alongside medical therapy.

Pharmacovigilance Concept Knowledge, Perspectives and Attitudes: A Cross-Sectional Study Among Community Pharmacists.

The concept of pharmacovigilance (PV) is currently highlighted after emergency authorization and worldwide distribution of the urgently launched COVID-19 novel vaccinations. As they typically serve as the initial point of patient contact for medication-related issues, understanding the knowledge, perspectives, and attitudes of community pharmacists in PV and reporting adverse drug reactions (ADRs) is crucial to improving the healthcare system and public health policies. However, previous studies in Jordan have not focused entirely on community pharmacists. This study aimed to assess community pharmacists' knowledge, perspectives, and attitudes on PV and ADRs reporting in Jordan. The applied methodology in this study was based on a cross-sectional study design using a validated questionnaire distributed to a convenient sample of Jordanian community pharmacists. Seventeen questions were designed from different pieces of literature relating to knowledge, perspectives, and attitudes of PV among community pharmacists. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and percentages) were used to report the results data. The study questionnaire was completed by 180 of 325 community pharmacists willing to participate (a response rate of 55.4%). Of them (n = 132, 73%) were aware of the concept of PV. Additionally (n = 84, 47%) of the community pharmacists would use the concept and policy of PV in their everyday work. Nevertheless, only (n = 36, 20.0%) of the community pharmacists thought an ADR should be reported if seen, and approximately 120 pharmacists (67.0%) believed it was essential to report ADRs as patient health matters. Although community pharmacists in Jordan showed a considerable awareness level of PV, they demonstrated a low level of its application. Thus, ADR reporting is not considered a mainstay among them, and the implementation of PV is not yet addressed. The results from this study shed light on community pharmacists' perceptions and attitudes regarding ADR reporting and PV.

Knowledge and attitudes of community pharmacists on vaccination, barriers and willingness to implement community pharmacy-based vaccination services in Ethiopia

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of community pharmacists (CPs) on vaccination and assess the barriers and willingness to implement community pharmacy-based vaccination services (CPBVS) in Ethiopia. An online cross-sectional study was conducted on 423 CPs in Ethiopia, and questionnaires were distributed to CPs through the Ethiopian Pharmaceutical Association telegram group and e-mail invitations. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27. Most CPs (92%) had good knowledge of vaccination, and 43.5% strongly agreed that the population’s immunization rates would rise if CPs were authorized to provide vaccinations. The overall mean attitude score (±SD) toward vaccination was 35.95 (±4.11) out of a total score of 45, with 187 (44.2%) scoring below the mean. The most common barriers were lack of authorization (94.1%), costs and time associated with professional development and training (71.4%), time requirements for professional development (70%), and insufficient staff or resources for implementation (70%). Two hundred thirty CPs (54.4%) expressed a willingness to implement CPBVS. Educational qualifications were significantly associated with knowledge of CPs regarding vaccination. Those with inadequate knowledge had about 2.5 times (AOR = 2.51, 95% CI: 1.19, 5.31, p = .016) a poorer attitude toward vaccination services compared with those with adequate knowledge. Those study participants who had a good attitude toward vaccination services were nearly seven (AOR = 6.80, 95% CI: 4.36–10.59, p = .0001) times more willing to provide CPBVS when compared with their counterparts. Implementing CPBVS in Ethiopia requires overcoming barriers and providing professional development opportunities.

Knowledge and attitudes of community pharmacists regarding dementia: A nationwide cross-sectional study in Vietnam.

To investigate Vietnamese community pharmacists' knowledge and attitudes towards dementia. 1066 community pharmacists in eight provinces/centrally-governed cities were recruited using a non-probability convenience sampling technique. Their dementia knowledge was measured using a set of 14 questions developed through a literature review. The Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire was used to assess pharmacists' attitudes towards dementia. Cronbach's alpha was 0.88 for the overall questionnaire (0.70 for the knowledge part and 0.81 for the attitude part). Participants were mostly female (74.2%), 20-39years old (79.1%), and had work experience in pharmacies of less than 10 years (77.0%). Medicines for dementia were available in only 40 community pharmacies (3.8%), including galantamine (3.0%) and donepezil (0.8%). Pharmacists' average knowledge and attitude scores were 8.03±2.61 and 64.81±7.34, respectively. There were considerable differences in pharmacists' knowledge and attitudes between rural and urban areas and among eight provinces (p<0.001). Higher knowledge and attitude scores were found among those with higher education levels and longer work experience (p<0.001). Using reliable sources to seek information on dementia, such as books and scientific articles, also helped pharmacists to have better knowledge and more positive attitudes (p<0.001). There was a positive relationship between knowledge and attitude scores (r=0.326, p<0.001). Community pharmacists demonstrated moderate levels of knowledge and attitudes towards dementia. Their knowledge about the symptoms of dementia was inadequate. Educational interventions and training programs are urgently needed to enhance their dementia knowledge and attitudes.

Knowledge and attitude of community pharmacists toward biosimilar medicines: A cross-sectional study in Lebanon

ObjectivesPharmacists are drug experts who can play a significant role in promoting the use of biosimilar medicines. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess community pharmacists' knowledge and attitude toward biosimilars in Lebanon, as well as potential factors influencing their knowledge. MethodsA descriptive, cross-sectional study involving licensed community pharmacists in Lebanon was conducted using random sampling between January and July 2022. An electronic survey consisting of 30-closed ended questions was used, it included 10 questions to assess participants knowledge towards biosimilars and 10 attitudinal statements. A knowledge score was then calculated. A multivariable analysis was conducted to determine predictors of knowledge using binary logistic regression including all variables with p < 0.20 on univariate analysis. Statistical significance was set at p value < 0.05. Key findingsIn total, 354 community pharmacists completed this survey. The majority of participants 261 (73.7%) were knowledgeable, with only 54 (15.3%) answering all the questions correctly. The results of the multivariable analysis showed only a statistically significant association between knowledge and pharmacists who had taken a course or post-graduate training course about biosimilar drugs (OR = 2.213, 95% CI = 1.088–4.500, p-value = 0.028). The majority of pharmacists 314 (88.7%) agreed with the statement “Healthcare professionals should be further educated to eliminate potential misconceptions and integrate biosimilars into routine clinical practice.” ConclusionsOverall, community pharmacists in Lebanon had a good knowledge about biosimilars that was significantly associated with post-graduate training courses. Additionally, our participants had a generally favorable attitude toward biosimilars.

Community pharmacists’ perception and attitudes toward independent prescribing in the United Arab Emirates: an exploratory study

Abstract Objectives To evaluate and investigate the perception and attitudes of community pharmacists (CPs) toward community pharmacist independent prescribing (CPIP) and their perceived ability to diagnose and manage common health problems. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on licensed CPs in Al-Ain City, United Arab Emirates (UAE) from September to December 2019. A sample of 220 participants was randomly selected from the database of 980 licensed pharmacists working in Al-Ain. Pharmacists were asked to complete a questionnaire that includes five sections: demographic characteristics, pharmacists’ confidence, perceived requirements and barriers for the CPIP process and perceived competence to manage common medical conditions. Key findings Two hundred CPs were enrolled (response rate 91%) in this study (mean age 30.7 ± 7.2 years old); majority were females 60.3% (n = 121) and 90.0% (n = 190) had minimum bachelor’s degree in pharmacy. Most of the participants had long-standing experience in the community pharmacy field (10 years). The majority of the pharmacists were confident in their ability to practice (CPIP) (70.0%, n = 140). However, they were least confident in their current knowledge and skills for practicing CPIP (58%, n = 116). More than 70.0% (n = 140) of the respondents were required to have a well-prepared consultation area, get proper access to patients’ records and provide recommendations. The main perceived barrier to CPIP was physicians’ acceptance (57.0%, n = 114). Around 75.0% (n = 140) of the CPs believed they are skilful in managing minor ailments such as acute back pain and acne, however, they reported lower perceived competence for the management of chronic diseases such as hypertension and asthma. Conclusions Most CPs have a positive attitude toward implementing CPIP, especially on minor ailments. The main perceived barrier was physicians’ acceptance and the majority of pharmacists were required to have access to patients’ medical records and a well-prepared consultation area.

Practices, knowledge, and attitudes of community pharmacists towards dispensing drugs during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross sectional study from Jordan.

Pharmacists have an important role in providing correct information, education, and counseling to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic and other health crisis. In order to perform their duties in a correct manner, they must receive adequate and evidence-based information from official resources. The objectives of the study were to examine the practices of community pharmacists towards dispensing drugs during the COVI-19 pandemic and assess their knowledge concerning the safety and efficacy of these drugs in managing the COVID-19 infection. This was a web-based cross-sectional study conducted through the distribution of the questionnaire via the social media through a google form. The drugs examined were azithromycin, hydroxychloroquine, dexamethasone, and certain antiviral drugs. A total of 485 community pharmacists responded to the questionnaire. Pharmacists dispensed these medications based on the physician's orders, 420 (86.6%), according to the pharmacist´s recommendations 327 (67.4%), or upon patient´s request 278 (57.3%). Azithromycin was the most dispensed drug and two thirds of the pharmacists dispensed drugs more than 10 times. Community pharmacists did not possess adequate knowledge concerning the effectiveness and safety of the drugs in the management of COVID-19 infection. In the multivariate linear regression analysis; education, type of university, and the average number of daily customers were statistically significant, p values: 0.004, 0.002, and 0.016, respectively. Pharmacists did not have a positive attitude towards dispensing drugs based on their own recommendations. More than half of the pharmacists agreed that they thought it was a correct decision to give these drugs based on their own judgment. Community pharmacists should not receive information from non-official sources. Strict regulations and implementation of disciplinary actions against pharmacists that dispense prescription only drugs based on their medical judgment are necessary to stop this illegal behavior. A proactive role demonstrated by the pharmacists and based on scientific facts will reduce misconceptions and hazardous behavior of self-medication using prescription only drugs based on rumors and fictitious news.

DETERMINATION OF ATTITUDE OF COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS TO MEDICINE INVENTORY MANAGEMENT IN DELTA STATE, NIGERIA

Background: The current global economic recession and harsh practice environment have imposed a demand on community pharmacy to ensure efficient and effective drug stock (inventory) management to enhance cost savings for valuable professional profit advantage.&#x0D; Objective: This study presents the determination of the attitude of community pharmacists on medicine inventory management.&#x0D; Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey of 125 community pharmacists selected using a simple random sampling method. The primary data were collected with the aid of a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. The sample size was determined using the Taro Yamane’s formula for a finite population. The questionnaire comprises three main sections to study the attitude of community pharmacists to medicine inventory management and are designed using simple statements on a Likert-type scale with five alternative responses having weights scores of 0-4. The collected data were subjected to descriptive and inferential analysis with a significance level of 5% using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 for Windows (SPSS, Chicago, IL).&#x0D; Results: The response rate was 125 (96.2%) and the questionnaire reliability was 0.97. Most respondents were located in Warri 69 (75.2%), with almost evenly split sex categories with the male 70 (56.0%) being slightly more, age distribution almost bell-shaped with the 30-39 years range being the modal range. Most of the survey respondents were superintendents 98 (78.4%), computer 79 (63.2%) usage in their premises with 67(84.8%) being used for inventory management purposes. Community pharmacists showed a negative attitude (MWA=2.46) towards inventory management with a significant association with the gender respondents (x2=9.32, p=0.01) however, males being more negative than females. The result shows that the community pharmacists in Delta State had a negative attitude towards inventory management. Adequate training through self-development is highly advocated.&#x0D; &#x0D; Peer Review History: &#x0D; Received: 28 October 2021; Revised: 10 August 2022; Accepted: 6 September, Available online: 15 September 2022&#x0D; Academic Editor: Dr. Asia Selman Abdullah, Pharmacy institute, University of Basrah, Iraq, asia_abdullah65@yahoo.com&#x0D; UJPR follows the most transparent and toughest ‘Advanced OPEN peer review’ system. The identity of the authors and, reviewers will be known to each other. This transparent process will help to eradicate any possible malicious/purposeful interference by any person (publishing staff, reviewer, editor, author, etc) during peer review. As a result of this unique system, all reviewers will get their due recognition and respect, once their names are published in the papers. We expect that, by publishing peer review reports with published papers, will be helpful to many authors for drafting their article according to the specifications. Auhors will remove any error of their article and they will improve their article(s) according to the previous reports displayed with published article(s). The main purpose of it is ‘to improve the quality of a candidate manuscript’. Our reviewers check the ‘strength and weakness of a manuscript honestly’. There will increase in the perfection, and transparency. &#x0D; Received file: Reviewer's Comments:&#x0D; Average Peer review marks at initial stage: 6.0/10&#x0D; Average Peer review marks at publication stage: 7.0/10&#x0D; Reviewers:&#x0D; Rusmir Baljic, Clinic for infectious diseases, Clinical center University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. rusmir.baljic@gmail.com&#x0D; Dr. Govind Vyas, Compliance &amp; Regulatory Officer Inva-Tech Pharmaceuticals LLC, New-Jersey, USA, govindvyas03@gmail.com&#x0D; Prof. Dr. Hassan A.H. Al-Shamahy, Sana'a University, Yemen, shmahe@yemen.net.ye&#x0D; Similar Articles: &#x0D; ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE OF COMMUNITY PHARMACISTS IN MANAGEMENT OF HIV-POSITIVE INDIVIDUALS IN THE SOUTHERN REGION OF NIGERIA &#x0D; AWARENESS OF PHARMACISTS TOWARDS ASPARTAME SIDE EFFECTS IN KHARTOUM CITY, SUDAN

Attitudes of Community Pharmacists towards Expanding their Prescribing Role: A Cross-sectional study

Background: There is a growing international development in community pharmacists’ and authority prescribing role. Objective: The study assess the attitudes of community pharmacists toward expanding their prescribing role and to identify any contributing factors. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in Jordan. A validated self-administered questionnaire addressing participants’ attitudes toward expanding the prescribing role of community pharmacists, the preferred model, barriers and training need was used. Results: In general, 62.3% of community pharmacists exhibited neutral attitudes toward expanding their prescribing role, and 79.4% favored the supplementary prescribing model. The key drivers for expanding prescribing were a better use of community pharmacists’ skills (88.7%) and drug knowledge (79.4%). However, the most perceived barriers were inadequate training in patient assessment and monitoring (75%) and diagnosis of disease (73%). Female respondents had higher mean attitude scores (65.5± 6.79) than males (63.1± 7.89),(p= 0.021, t=2.321). Respondents with a Pharm .D degree had higher mean attitude scores (68.0 ±9.19) than those with a postgraduate degree (66.3±7.59) or those with bachelor of pharmacy (63.6±6.88, p= 0.010, F=4.709). Conclusion: Although overall attitudes of community pharmacists toward prescribing role were neutral, there were some gaps in their knowledge and skills. Community pharmacists, therefore, require further and urgent training in certain areas together with addressing the identified barriers.

Learning Theory-Driven Tips for Designing Effective Learning Solutions for the Continuous Education of Community Pharmacists to Enhance Patient-Centered Care-A Qualitative Study.

The constant development of medical and pharmaceutical sciences and the changing roles of pharmacists highlight the importance of lifelong learning in their profession. Given the identified knowledge gaps in the literature in terms of pharmacists’ preferences for lifelong learning, the study aimed to evaluate the opinions and attitudes of community pharmacists towards lifelong learning, including their previous experiences and educational needs, in order to propose evidence-based tips for designing such solutions and interventions intended for them both in face-to-face and online forms. For this purpose, ten semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with Polish community pharmacists on the topic using a thematic guide. Subsequently, they were subjected to literal transcription and interpretative phenomenological analysis by two independent researchers using phenomenology as the qualitative approach. The identified themes covered the topic’s relevance for pharmacists’ work, practice-oriented form and content, previous learners’ experiences as a foundation for further learning, commercial initiatives’ risks, motivation sources, and barriers for participation in lifelong learning solutions so far. Based on the insights provided by the respondents, as well as scientifically proven learning theories and educational principles, ten tips were formulated for designing recipient-friendly learning solutions and interventions within the framework of postgraduate lifelong learning of pharmacists.

Attitude of community pharmacists toward patients with a substance-related disorder (heroin, alcohol and tobacco), estimation of harmfulness and knowledge of these substances, and continuing education: A pilot cross-sectional study

To investigate attitude of community pharmacists toward patients with a substance-related disorder (heroin, alcohol and tobacco). The attitudes were assessed thanks to the Attitude to Mental Illness Questionnaire (AMIQ) for heroin, alcohol and tobacco-related disorders in three independent groups of pharmacists. Estimation of substance-related harmfulness, knowledge of substance-related disorders and activities/needs for continuing education on substance-related disorders were also recorded. Thirty-five pharmacists were included (heroin: 11, alcohol: 10 and tobacco: 14). AMIQ scores for heroin-related disorder were negative and lower than for alcohol (P<0.01) and tobacco (P<0.001). AMIQ scores for alcohol-related disorder were lower than for tobacco (P<0.05). The estimation of heroin-related harmfulness was higher than for alcohol and tobacco (P<0.001). The estimations of knowledge of substance-related disorders were lower for opioid and alcohol than for tobacco (P<0.001). AMIQ scores and the needs for continuing education on each associated addiction showed a positive relation (P<0.01). Pharmacists had a negative attitude toward heroin and alcohol-related disorders. A positive attitude toward patients with a substance-related disorder was associated with a need for continuing education. Efforts should be made to change attitudes and to promote continuing education on heroin and alcohol-related disorders.

Evaluation of Community Pharmacists Knowledge, Attitude and Practice towards Modified Release Dosage Forms

Purpose:To evaluate knowledge, practice and attitude of community pharmacists in Basra regarding modified release dosage forms which are widely used for many therapeutic purposes in pharmacy practice.&#x0D; Methods:The current study was conducted among certified pharmacists in Basra governorate- south of Iraq. Data collection was carried out by a questionnaire.&#x0D; Results:A total number of 175 community pharmacists responded to the questionnaire. The majority worked in OTC based dispensing pharmacies located in the center of the city. Most respondents missed K1 and were unable to state the difference between different types of modified products. There was a major positive agreement towards medical representatives' rule in promoting the prescribing of modified release products by physicians. Avoiding crushing and breaking of solid oral modified release drugs were identified by the majority of participants. Correlation analysis showed a 22.8 correlation coefficient between knowledge and attitude which was statistically significant. Males showed statistically significant higher knowledge and practice scores than females.&#x0D; Conclusions:The conduction of a brief educational program would be very beneficial in bringing basic theoretical knowledge with practicing points of interest and promote a more positive attitude toward this unique class of novel drug delivery system.

Knowledge and attitude of community pharmacists towards the practice of pharmaceutical public health in north-central Nigeria

Purpose: The knowledge and attitude of community pharmacists towards pharmaceutical public health (PPH) practice is critical to service outcomes and program effectiveness. However, there is limited evidence on the impact of knowledge and attitude of community pharmacists on the practice of public health in Nigeria. The aim of this study was to investigate the knowledge and attitude of community pharmacists towards the practice of pharmaceutical public health in Jos, North-Central Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Jos, North-Central, Nigeria. A pre-tested 42-item questionnaire was self-administered to 105 community pharmacists selected using a cluster random sampling method. Ninety-seven questionnaires were returned giving a 92% response rate. Structural equation modeling was used to explore the association and causality among study variables. Results: The study showed some evidence that: (a) community pharmacists are generally knowledgeable with a positive attitude towards pharmaceutical public health (b) knowledge and attitude combined have a significant impact on the practice of public health (r=1.627; p = 0.001), but knowledge alone does not significantly impact practice; (c) notwithstanding, the practice of public health is not significantly affected by certain perceived constraints at p=0.230. Conclusion: Knowledge about public health does not automatically translate to the practice of public health without some support or motivation like community pharmacists’ positive attitude towards public health. For a more impactful PPH practice, professional and regulatory bodies would need to develop and implement national guidelines on pharmaceutical public health practice. This could significantly foster the practice of public health by community pharmacists. Keywords: Community pharmacists, pharmaceutical public health

Community Pharmacists' Opinions towards Poor Prescription Writing in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

Avoidance of medication errors is imperative for the safe use of medications, and community pharmacists are uniquely placed to identify and resolve the errors that may arise due to poorly handwritten prescriptions. Purpose: To explore the opinion and attitudes of community pharmacists towards poor prescription writing and their suggestions to overcome this concern. Methods: A cross-sectional, self-administered survey was conducted among the community pharmacists in the Jazan region, Saudi Arabia. Descriptive analysis and chi-square test were used at 5% p-value (p > 0.05) as the significance level. Results: The response rate for the survey was 78.66%, and 140 community pharmacists agreed to participate. Among the study subjects, the majority (73.57%) had a bachelor’s degree. Nearly three-fourths (3/4) of the pharmacists (72.29%) chose to send the patient back to the prescriber when they found difficulty in interpreting the information from an illegible prescription. As many as 80.71% of the pharmacists believed that poorly handwritten prescriptions were the cause of actual errors when dispensing medications. The most commonly encountered problem due to poorly handwritten prescriptions was the commercial name of medicine, which was reported by around two-thirds (67.86%) of the pharmacists. The use of e-prescription was suggested by 72.86% of the pharmacists as a probable solution to encounter this problem. Conclusion: Our findings highlight the belief and attitudes of community pharmacists in the region and their opinions to solve this impending problem of poor prescription writing. Continuous professional development courses can be adopted to tackle the problem. Additionally, health authorities can work on incorporating and facilitating the use of e-prescription in the community sector, which can be a boon to physicians, pharmacists, and patients. Proper and extensive training is however needed before the implementation of e-prescribing.

Attitudes toward using clinical decision support in community pharmacies to promote antibiotic stewardship

BackgroundOutpatient antibiotic prescriptions drive antibiotic overuse in humans, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified community pharmacies as potential partners in outpatient stewardship efforts. Clinical decision support (CDS) tools can potentially be used at community pharmacies to aid in outpatient stewardship efforts. ObjectivesWe sought to determine community pharmacist attitudes toward using a computerized CDS tool to evaluate and manage common complaints and thus promote appropriate antibiotic prescribing. MethodsWe conducted in-depth semistructured interviews of community pharmacists to determine attitudes toward using CDS tools in their practice and identify potential barriers in implementation. Thematic analysis was used to identify common themes and subthemes in the pharmacist responses. ResultsWe interviewed 21 pharmacists and identified 5 themes and 14 subthemes in our interviews. The pharmacists reported that patients frequently presented with complaints of acute infections and that they (the pharmacists) were universally supportive of a CDS intervention that would allow them to assess such patients and, in turn, guide appropriate antibiotic prescribing. They noted that communication difficulties with prescribing physicians and lack of information sharing currently made it difficult to implement stewardship interventions, and they stated that they were interested in any intervention that could help overcome these barriers. ConclusionCommunity pharmacies represent an important point of contact for patients and are a potentially valuable setting for outpatient stewardship interventions. Pharmacists were overwhelmingly supportive of using CDS tools to evaluate patients and promote antimicrobial stewardship. These results suggest that it would be feasible to pilot such an intervention in the community pharmacy setting.

Pharmacovigilance in Sudan: Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour among Community Pharmacists

Background: Adverse drug reaction monitoring and reporting require a multidisciplinary approach and pharmacists have a major role to play in this matter. Under-reporting of the ADRs by the prescribers is a common problem in devolving countries. Aim: To assess the knowledge, attitude and behaviour of community pharmacists toward pharmacovigilance in Khartoum city. Method: Descriptive cross-sectional study among 258 community pharmacists during the period from October to November 2017 using a pre-designed questionnaire. The study was evaluated participants regarding knowledge on drug safety in routine practice, the knowledge and attitude of community pharmacists toward ADR reporting and their behaviour on ADR related aspects. Result: Out of 325 participants, most of them were male (50.8%) with age group From 18 years to 30 years (62%) and B. Pharm (57.8%) and practice experience more than 2 years to 5 years (38.8%) and Training received in pharmacovigilance Yes (42.2%). Assessing pharmacist’s knowledge showed that 74% of community pharmacists know the ADR definition and 39.5% are not know the ADR are preventable to some extent, no association between knowledge and qualification, and there is an association with practice. Assessing pharmacists knowledge toward ADR reporting, 69% of the participant are agree awareness of the national pharmacovigilance program in Sudan revealed no statistically significant association with training in pharmacovigilance, positive attitude of pharmacist toward ADR reporting, 67.8% of the pharmacists believed that the role of the pharmacist in ADR reporting was essential revealed there are statistically significant associations with training in pharmacovigilance, the behaviour of pharmacist toward ADR, 91.9%of participant agrees to ask for the allergy history of the patient before dispensing the medication revealed no statistically significant association with training in pharmacovigilance. Conclusion: Even though most of the pharmacists had knowledge, attitude and behaviour on ADR reporting and related aspects, the number of them did not know drug safety-related aspects of specific drugs. Educational programs have to be generated awareness on how to report ADR and stimulate pharmacists’ more active participation in the pharmacovigilance program. There is a true need to have training programs to improve the knowledge of pharmacists on ADR related aspects that are of benefit daily, which could greatly have an impact on patient safety. Key Policy Messages: The result reflected pharmacists knowledge toward ADR reporting, most of the participant are agree awareness of the national pharmacovigilance program in Sudan revealed no statistically significant association with training in pharmacovigilance, positive attitude of pharmacist toward ADR reporting, most of the pharmacists believed that the role of the pharmacist in ADR reporting was essential revealed there are statistically significant associations with training in pharmacovigilance, the behaviour of pharmacist toward ADR, majority of the participant agrees to ask for the allergy history of the patient before dispensing the medication revealed no statistically significant association with training in pharmacovigilance.

Knowledge and attitudes of community pharmacists about COVID-19

Knowledge and attitudes of community pharmacists about COVID-19

Knowledge, attitude, and practice of pharmacy professionals on generic medicines in Eastern Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study.

Generic medicines are similar to innovator medicine in terms of safety, quality, efficacy, dosage form, strength, and route of administration. They have the same therapeutic use to innovator medicines and available at a far lower price. However, health professionals' poor knowledge and attitude may limit its utilization. The present study aimed at assessing the knowledge, attitude, and practice of pharmacy professionals towards generic medicines in Harar city, Eastern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among community pharmacists in Harar city. A self-administered thirty-three item questionnaire on Knowledge, attitude, and practice of community pharmacists was utilized. Logistic regression analysis was performed to predict the determinants of knowledge and attitude of pharmacists. An odds ratio at 95% confidence interval along with a p-value < 0.05 was considered significant. Among 80 community pharmacists' approached, 74 completed the survey, providing a response rate of 92.5%. Sixty-seven percent of the respondents knew that generic drugs are bioequivalent to brand drugs and claimed generic medicines are cheaper (86.5%). Nearly half (48.6%) of participants believe that generic medicines are less effective and slower in the onset of action (58.1%). More than half (54.1%) of study participants revealed their lack of belief in generic medicine as a factor hindering the selection and dispensing of generic medicines. In multivariate logistic regression, experience in community pharmacy practice (Adjusted odds ratio (AOR = 2.18, 95%CI: 1.21-63.1) and Sex (AOR = 3.88, 95%CI: 2.12-39.62) were significantly associated with knowledge and attitude toward generic medicines, respectively. The current study revealed that there is a gap in the knowledge and attitude of community pharmacists towards generic and brand drugs. More than averages of the respondents have known the concept of generic medicine including their right to perform generic substitution and had a positive attitude toward generics. Female pharmacists were more likely to have a positive attitude and the overall knowledge was higher in those who have more than 5 years of work experience.