Community Pharmacists In Malaysia Research Articles

Assessing the preparedness and future-readiness of Malaysian community pharmacists in Klang Valley regarding the use of medical marijuana

BackgroundThis study investigated community pharmacists' level of knowledge and attitude towards medical marijuana and its association with sociodemographic characteristics.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted from 21 February 2022 to 15 November 2022. Community pharmacists working in Klang Valley were given a self-administered questionnaire. This survey instrument facilitated the collection of information about their sociodemographic attributes, training background, and knowledge and attitude concerning medical marijuana. Through rigorous analysis of the accumulated data, discernible factors correlating with the levels of knowledge and attitudes surrounding medical marijuana were identified.ResultsThe majority (n=149, 53.8%) of participants had low knowledge of medical marijuana. Participants with lower knowledge of medical marijuana tend to have a negative attitude toward medical marijuana. Besides that, male participants showed higher knowledge of medical marijuana than female participants. Furthermore, it was found that atheists had the most negative attitude among other religions toward medical marijuana.ConclusionMost community pharmacists in Malaysia lack sufficient knowledge about medical marijuana. This indicates that Malaysian pharmacists are not future-ready and need to equip themselves with adequate knowledge of the indications and adverse effects of medical marijuana if it is to be legalised one day. Thus, there is a need for improved training and education of pharmacists around cannabis-based medicines.

Community pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding counselling on vitamins and dietary supplements in Malaysia: A study on complementary medicines

BackgroundThe utilization of vitamins and dietary supplements (DSs) among consumers in Malaysia has seen a notable increase. However, there is limited research available on how pharmacists in Eastern countries manage the provision of these products. ObjectiveThis study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of community pharmacists in Malaysia regarding the provision of counselling services on vitamins and DSs. The findings will inform education strategies in this area. MethodsA cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted from February to April 2022 using a validated online-based questionnaire. The survey was distributed to community pharmacists across Malaysia through social media channels. t-test and ANOVA test were used for data analysis. ResultsAmong the 260 participants, 73.5% were categorized as having average product knowledge. Key concerns included a lack of knowledge about the indications of new products and when to discontinue their use. Regarding dosing in specific patient groups, 33.5% of pharmacists only occasionally consulted references and primarily relied on product labels. Furthermore, 29% of pharmacists believed it was unnecessary to refer patients to doctors when they experienced ongoing symptoms while taking vitamins or DSs. Interestingly, 44.6% of pharmacists believed there was a correlation between the efficacy of vitamins and their price, often recommending more expensive brands despite similar content. ConclusionThere is an opportunity to enhance the knowledge of pharmacists in Malaysia regarding vitamins and DSs. Education interventions should focus on areas such as dosing for specific patient groups, when to discontinue products, understanding new products, evidence-based efficacy of products for specific conditions, and providing a framework for appropriate referral to support pharmacists in their practice.

Perspectives of community pharmacists on extended pharmacy services and value-added services in Malaysia: a cross-sectional survey.

This study aimed to investigate patterns of extended pharmacy services (EPS) provided by Malaysian community pharmacists and their willingness to provide value-added services (VAS) in addition to EPS. Additionally, this study examined the barriers to the effective implementation of these two services. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire among community pharmacists in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. Convenience sampling was done, and descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were performed. Two hundred and thirty-six pharmacists participated. The most rendered EPS were nutritional supplements, hypertension management, and diabetic management, while chronic kidney disease management, smoking cessation, and mental health services were the least rendered. Pharmacists were willing to provide medication waste management and vaccination as VAS but were less inclined towards therapeutic drug monitoring and sterile compounding. Barriers included limited access to medical records of patients, lack of designated counselling areas, and concerns about remuneration. High sales pressure and busy workloads were additional barriers to providing VAS. Continuous professional development (CPD) positively influenced pharmacists' engagement in EPS and VAS. This study highlights service provision trends and areas for improvement. Addressing identified barriers, such as enhancing access to patient records and establishing designated counselling areas, can improve service delivery. Remuneration models and workload management strategies should be considered to alleviate barriers related to sales pressure and time constraints. Promoting CPD opportunities is crucial for enhancing pharmacist engagement and optimizing EPS and VAS.

Empowering Sustainable Growth and Workforce: Unveiling Challenges and Strategies for Retaining Community Pharmacists in Malaysia.

Community pharmacists face challenges in job retention due to compensation, work-life balance, and career growth concerns. With pharmacists' evolving roles in healthcare, retaining them becomes crucial for maintaining quality service. Addressing their needs is vital for a skilled healthcare workforce. This study evaluates job retention among community pharmacists, considering various workforce management domains and demographic characteristics. A cross-sectional study was employed with a self-administered questionnaire among community pharmacists in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia. Spearman's correlations and ordinal logistic regression analysed job retention relationships with workforce domains and predicted the demographic characteristics. A total of 414 participants attempted the survey, of which 311 completed the study. Strong correlations linked job retention with value, trust, and work-life balance. Female pharmacists had higher retention odds, while younger pharmacists had lower retention odds. Pharmacists with over 10 years of experience showed higher retention odds. 'Value and trust' and 'work-life balance' were pivotal for the job retention of community pharmacists. Strategies boosting value, trust, and work-life balance was vital. Gender, age, and experience also predicted job retention. Cultivating trust, valuing contributions, and providing a work-life balance can enhance job retention and commitment.

Role of community pharmacists in cardiovascular diseases-related health promotion and dyslipidemia management in Malaysia: A nationwide cross-sectional study.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, imposing a significant burden on patients and healthcare systems. The role of pharmacists in reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) is pivotal as they play an essential part in the healthcare team, particularly in medication management and patient education. Pharmacists are well-positioned to contribute to the prevention and control of CVD through various roles, including medication management and patient education. This study aims to investigate the current involvement of community pharmacists in Malaysia, specifically in cardiovascular diseases-related health promotion activities and dyslipidemia management, including their perceived barriers. This cross-sectional survey was conducted among community pharmacists in all 14 states of Malaysia between November 2021 and July 2022. The self-administered survey was shared to relevant groups through various social media platforms. A total of 312 community pharmacists were involved in the survey. Majority of the respondents were females (66%), with a mean age (SD) of 32.9 (8.4) years. Most of the respondents showed satisfactory practice for patient counselling, but improvements are needed particularly in risk assessment and collaborative care aspect. Most of them expressed their interest for dyslipidemia management training (89.4%). Lack of access to medical records (71.2%) and lack of CVD-related educational materials (70.8%) were the two main perceived barriers identified. Community pharmacists in Malaysia provide a satisfactory role in the provision of cardiovascular disease-related health promotion activities, especially in providing patient counselling. Strengthening collaborative care is essential for providing comprehensive and patient-centered intervention in dyslipidemia management. This requires ongoing efforts to address and overcome existing barriers for effective teamwork and coordination among healthcare professionals.

A survey of the adoption and perception of mobile health applications among community pharmacists in Malaysia.

To determine the adoption and perception of mobile health (mHealth) applications among community pharmacists in Malaysia. A cross-sectional survey using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted with 300 community pharmacists in the Klang Valley, Malaysia using a stratified sampling approach. The questionnaire consisted of 36 questions with three sections: demographic data, adoption of mHealth applications and perception towards mHealth applications. Descriptive and inferential tests as well as exploratory factor analysis were used to analyse the data. Adoption of mHealth applications by community pharmacists for both professional and personal use was relatively high at 79.7%. Utilised mHealth applications were primarily from the medical references category, while applications for patient monitoring, personal care and fitness were used to a lesser degree. Among mHealth application users, only 65.7% recommended them to their patients. Overall perception towards mHealth applications was positive, but perception towards the benefits and favour of mHealth applications for their patients was lower. This was corroborated by the factor analysis, which identified four main factors explaining 59.9% of variance in the dataset. These factors were perception towards use in their own professional practice, perception on benefits and use in their patients, perception on specific features of mHealth applications, and reliability of mHealth applications. Adoption of mHealth applications among community pharmacists in Malaysia is high. Community pharmacists are more likely to use mHealth applications professionally and personally but less likely to recommend them to patients due to less favourable perceptions on how patients will benefit from mHealth applications.

Practice of pharmaceutical care by community pharmacists in response to self-medication request for a cough: a simulated client study

BackgroundCommunity pharmacy practice worldwide has been shifting from product-focused to patient-oriented. However, due to the absence of separation between prescribing and dispensing in Malaysia, community pharmacists may have limited roles in the provision of pharmaceutical care to patients with chronic diseases. Therefore, the main functions of community pharmacists in Malaysia are related to self-medication requests for minor ailments and the supply of non-prescription medications. The objective of this study was to determine the practice of pharmaceutical care by community pharmacists within the Klang Valley, Malaysia in response to self-medication requests for a cough.MethodsThis study utilised a simulated client method. A research assistant, acting as a simulated client, visited community pharmacies in the Klang Valley, Malaysia to consult the pharmacists on the treatment of a cough experienced by his father. Upon leaving the pharmacy premise, the simulated client entered the pharmacist’s responses in a data collection form which was structured based on pharmacy mnemonics for the response to symptoms, OBRA’90 on counselling elements, the five practice principles of pharmaceutical care by the American Pharmacists Association and literature review. Visits to the community pharmacies were conducted from September to October 2018.ResultsThe simulated client visited a total of 100 community pharmacies. None of these community pharmacists practised adequate patients’ data collection, with only a low proportion who practised all the components studied under medication information evaluation (13%), formulating a drug therapy plan (15%) and monitoring and modifying the plan (3%). Of the 100 community pharmacists, 98 recommended treatment but none of them provided all the counselling elements studied in implementing the drug therapy plan.ConclusionThe present study showed that community pharmacists within the Klang Valley, Malaysia were not providing adequate pharmaceutical care services to patients seeking self-medication for a cough. Such practice may compromise patient safety if inappropriate medicines or advice are given.

Topical corticosteroid counselling among Malaysian community pharmacists: a qualitative interview study

BackgroundTopical corticosteroids (TCS) are commonly available in community pharmacies and are used in skin conditions like atopic dermatitis and psoriasis among others. Problems such as overuse, use of potent steroids and steroid phobia have been identified in the use of TCS in the literature. The aim of the study was to obtain community pharmacists (CPs) views regarding factors influencing their counselling of patients about TCS; challenges associated, important problems, the counselling process, shared care with other healthcare professionals, and explore further the findings from the questionnaire-based study.MethodsSeven licensed practicing community pharmacists (from the Klang Valley, Malaysia) were interviewed between 23rd September to 14th November 2021. These were CPs participating in the questionnaire study who agreed to be interviewed. NVIVO 11 software was used for data analysis. Codes and themes were generated and agreed on by the researchers.ResultsThe major themes identified related to the process mentioned of providing information to patients, the issues addressed by CPs during the counselling (including steroid phobia, overuse of TCS, patients asking for a specific preparation by name), less counselling support material, language barriers, lesser knowledge about certain conditions, information sources used by CPs (material provided by Ministry of Health and Malaysian Pharmacists Association, MIMS) and suggestions to strengthen the quality of counselling (specialization in skin diseases, webinars, shared care models). For patients requesting a particular preparation by name, the pharmacist will decide whether the preparation requested is suitable or suggest an alternative. Steroid phobia was seen more commonly among parents of young children and young patients. MIMS was available as a smartphone application making it easier to use. Advanced training for CPs in the management of skin conditions like that provided for diabetes mellitus can be considered.ConclusionsCounselling was conducted while dispensing TCS in the open area of the pharmacy. Challenges to counselling were lack of time, limited counselling materials, and language barriers. Steroid phobia requires attention. Initiatives to strengthen counselling were mentioned by respondents and appear feasible. Further research covering the entire country is required.

Examining the Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in Electronic Medical Records Among Community Pharmacists in Malaysia

Background: Background: Electronic medical records (EMR) have been proven to reduce medical errors in drug distribution. However, EMR adoption is still relatively low among Malaysian community pharmacists. Objective: As a result, this study aims to see how community pharmacists in Malaysia use the EMR system. The factors influencing the community pharmacist's intent in adopting EMR will also be determined. Methods: The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Extended TAM were utilized in this study to determine Malaysian community pharmacists' main intention for using EMR. The information was gathered by surveying 144 community pharmacists nationwide. The data was analyzed using SPSS and Smart PLS software. Results: The study found a positively significant relationship between Perceived Usefulness (PU) and Behavioural Intention to Use (BIU). Conclusion: This study shows critical factors influencing the intention to use EMR among Malaysian community pharmacists. Hopefully, this study will better understand the importance of EMR in the healthcare industry.

Readiness and willingness of Malaysian community pharmacists in providing vaccination services

BackgroundVaccination is an effective public health intervention in reducing morbidity and mortality of infectious diseases. Compared to other countries where community pharmacists (CPs) administer vaccines, CPs in Malaysia are not authorised. This study aimed to assess CPs' readiness and willingness to provide vaccination in Malaysia, identify potential barriers to and factors supporting the provision of this service.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among Malaysian CPs from April to June 2021. A validated online questionnaire was distributed through social media, instant messaging, email, and pharmacy societies.ResultsOf 492 CPs recruited throughout Malaysia, 439 (89.2%) expressed willingness to provide vaccination services to the public, 403 (81.9%) agreed with the accessibility of community pharmacies to the public, and 73.4% agreed that their role in vaccination could help to improve the overall vaccination coverage rate. The lack of pharmacist training in vaccination and concerns on maintaining patient safety were identified as barriers to CPs' implementation of vaccination services, with 52.8% and 47.8% of them agreeing, respectively. Training sessions and operational guidelines on providing vaccination services are required to overcome the barriers.ConclusionCPs in Malaysia were ready and willing to provide vaccination services to the public. However, the implementation demands training workshops and re-evaluation of CPs in public vaccination programmes by Malaysian healthcare policymakers.

Perception and Attitude of Malaysian Community Pharmacists Towards the Implementation of Telepharmacy

Introduction: Telepharmacy refers to the delivery of pharmaceutical care service through telecommunication to patients in locations where they may not have direct contact with a pharmacist. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the role of pharmacist has expanded to provide services remotely through telepharmacy. This study aimed to assess Malaysian community pharmacists’ perception and attitude towards implementing telepharmacy. Method: This cross-sectional study was carried out from August 2020 to October 2020 using an online self-administered questionnaire. 217 community pharmacists in Klang Valley were recruited through convenience sampling method. 5-point Likert scales were used to evaluate the respondent’s perceived benefits, perceived barriers and attitude towards the implementation of telepharmacy. Results: 37.8% of the respondents showed positive perception while 53.9% are moderately positive towards towards the benefits of telepharmacy. Age (p=0.019) was shown to impact on the perceived benefits on implementation of telepharmacy. Only 8.3% of the community pharmacists perceived low barriers in telepharmacy implementation and it was significantly associated with education level of the respondents (p=0.032). Younger community pharmacists and community pharmacists who have less years of working experience were more likely to have a positive attitude towards the implementation of telepharmacy (p<0.001). Conclusion: In conclusion, most Malaysian community pharmacists practicing in urban area has shown positive perception and attitude towards the benefits and implementation of telepharmacy. However, the perceived barriers towards its implementation is high. A separate training or education on telemedicine may be useful to promote the use of telemedicine to all the pharmacists.

Resilience among Malaysian Community Pharmacists and General Medical Practitioners Using the 10-Item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC): The First National Survey.

With the growing importance of the healthcare sector, resilience has become a fundamental personal quality that healthcare professionals need to cultivate to cope with adverse events in daily work. Distress in the workplace cannot only impact the well-being of healthcare professionals but also negatively affect the capability to care effectively for others. This study was conducted to determine the score and level of resilience among private primary healthcare professionals and their relationships with independent variables. Sets of questionnaires on resilience based on the Connor–Davidson resilience scale-10 (CD-RISC-10) were completed by 164 general practitioners (GPs) and 87 community pharmacists (CPs). Inferential analysis was used to assess the difference, correlation, association, and predictor among dependent and independent variables. The validity and reliability of the study instrument were assessed using Modern Test Theory (MTT) and Classical Test Theory (CTT). The majority of GPs and CPs possessed the lowest resilience level. There were significant differences between CD-RISC-10 with gender, age, and years of experience in GPs as well as overall. Significant associations were found between CD-RISC-10 with all independent variables, except for the highest education level in GPs and overall. This study revealed significant correlations between independent variables with CD-RISC-10 in GPs and overall. However, there were nonsignificant differences, associations, and correlations among CPs between all independent variables and CD-RISC-10. Gender was the predictor of CD-RISC-10 in GPs, while age and years of experience were the predictors of CD-RISC-10 in GPs and overall. There was no predictor of independent variables for CPs. In multinomial logistics regression, years of experience and gender were the significant predictors of CD-RISC-10 among GPs. The CD-RISC-10 instrument had good validity and reliability. Overall, healthcare professionals showed a low level of resilience. This emphasized the need to cultivate and build resilience, as it is a desirable, important element when working in harsh and unprecedented healthcare settings.

Emergency Preparedness for the COVID-19 Pandemic: Social Determinants Predicting the Community Pharmacists' Preparedness and Perceived Response in Malaysia.

Background: Pandemic preparedness of healthcare providers helps to mitigate future threats such as spread and fatality rates, as well as the management of the disease. Pharmacists are key partners with public health agencies, and the role of community pharmacists is becoming increasingly recognised in this COVID-19 pandemic. The study aimed to explore the emergency preparedness of community pharmacists (CPs) for COVID-19. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed among community pharmacists using cluster sampling followed by convenient sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was formulated using references from the previous literature and the WHO preparedness checklist. Descriptive analysis was undertaken for the participants’ socio-demographic characteristics. All the data collected were entered into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 24 (SPSS V.24), (IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 24.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.) for analysis. Results: Most of the CPs had five or fewer years of practice experience, and they had all the mandatory information relating to the needs of their communities regarding the disease. The participants knew where to acquire these resources whenever needed. They were able to recognise the signs and symptoms of the disease. Most participants felt that they were confident to provide patient education and carry out their duties during these challenging times. There was a strong position correlation between preparedness and the perceived response of the participants. Conclusion: The community pharmacists in Malaysia are prepared enough for COVID-19 pandemic management and perceive that they can respond during any unprecedented situations, such as COVID-19. Community pharmacists were aware of the challenges that they need to face in their community regarding COVID-19.

Engaging community pharmacists to eliminate inadvertent doping in sports: A study of their knowledge on doping.

This study aimed to evaluate the community pharmacists' knowledge of tackling the issue of inadvertent doping in Malaysia. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 384 community pharmacists working in Malaysia using a self-administered questionnaire. All the respondents were pharmacists fully registered with the Pharmacy Board of Malaysia and had been working in the community setting for at least one year. Of the 426 community pharmacists approached, 384 community pharmacists participated in this study, giving a response rate of 90.14%. The majority of the respondents were females (63.5%), graduated from local universities (74.9%), with median years of practising as a community pharmacist of six years (interquartile range, IQR = 9 years). The respondents were found to have moderate levels of doping-related knowledge (median score of 52 out of 100). Anabolic steroids (95.8%), stimulants (78.6%) and growth factors (65.6%) were recognised as prohibited substances by most of the respondents. Around 65.9% did not recognise that inadvertent doping is also considered a doping violation. Most of them (90%) also have poor levels of knowledge of doping scenarios in the country. Community pharmacists in Malaysia have limited knowledge in the field of doping. More programmes and activities related to doping and drugs in sports should be held to enhance the community pharmacists' knowledge on the issue of inadvertent doping.

Management of Medicines Wastage, Returned Medicines and Safe Disposal in Malaysian Community Pharmacies: A Qualitative Study.

IntroductionIn supplying medicines to patients and consumers waste can occur in prescribing, dispensing, and leftover stages. Pharmacists in community pharmacies play a crucial role in dispensing and should share information on appropriate medicines disposal with consumers. This qualitative study explored how Malaysian community pharmacists manage medication wastage, returned medicines, and medicines disposal by eliciting their opinions on medicines wastage, the challenges faced, and feasibility of medicine return and safe medicine disposal in the setting of Malaysian community pharmacy.MethodsTelephonic interviews were conducted using a pre-validated interview guide among community pharmacists. Purposive sampling was used to ensure heterogeneity of participants in terms of gender, age, and position in the pharmacy. The interview was conducted until a point where no new information was obtained. Interview data were thematically analyzed.ResultsThe analysis identified nine themes organized into four domains. The results revealed that pharmacists have positive perceptions of the safe disposal of medicines. Pharmacists mentioned that medicine returns to service in community pharmacies are not common due to a lack of facilities in the management of unwanted, expired, and returned medicines. As such pharmacists have suggested a few ways to minimize medicinal wastage.ConclusionsRespondents aimed to minimize medicines wastage (unused medicines) in order to minimize loss of revenue. Respondents did not usually accept returned medicines due to the operational costs of safe disposal. Disposal of unused medicines was undertaken by centralizing the stocks at an organization facility before being disposed of by outsourced waste management companies.

A Qualitative Study Exploring Community Pharmacists' Experiences and Views About Weight Management Interventions and Services in Klang Valley, Malaysia.

Objective: To qualitatively explore the perspectives of community pharmacists in Malaysia on their roles in weight management, and the barriers and facilitators in the expansion of these roles.Methods: A purposive sampling method was used to recruit community pharmacists in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted with community pharmacists, with an interview guide, from May 2018 to January 2019. The interviews were conducted in person (face-to-face). All interviews were audio-recorded with consent and transcribed verbatim. The interview transcripts were analyzed thematically, whereby emerging themes were coded and grouped into categories.Results: Twenty-four community pharmacists were recruited, with years of experience in pharmacy practice ranging from 2 to 40 years. Participants described their perceptions on the different weight management interventions where they emphasized the importance of a comprehensive lifestyle intervention and viewed that it should be the first-line intervention. Participants regarded their weight management service as easily accessible or approachable since community pharmacies are often the first point of call for patients seeking advice for their conditions before consulting doctors. Barriers identified by community pharmacists were mainly organizational in nature, which included lack of private consultation rooms, lack of time, and lack of qualified staff. Participants also described the need for training in weight management.Conclusion: Community pharmacists in Malaysia believed that they can positively contribute to the area of weight management. They cited multiple roles that they could play in weight management interventions and services. The roles cited include provision of education and advice, including on lifestyle modifications, drug therapy, weight loss products and supplements, and monitoring and providing referrals to other healthcare professionals. However, barriers would need to be addressed, including through pharmacist training, to strengthen and improve community pharmacists' roles and contributions in weight management service.

The extent and barriers in providing pharmaceutical care services by community pharmacists in Malaysia: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundSince the introduction of pharmaceutical care concept by Hepler and Strand in 1990, community pharmacists worldwide have been realigning their roles from being product-focused to patient-orientated to improve patient's quality of life. The objectives of this study were to determine the type of services, with emphasis on the extent of pharmaceutical care services provided by community pharmacists and the barriers in providing such services in Malaysia.MethodsA cross-sectional observational study was conducted using an online questionnaire. Community pharmacists in Malaysia were invited to participate in the study via emails. The questionnaire was structured based on the Malaysian Community Pharmacy Benchmarking Guidelines, the five practice principles of pharmaceutical care by the American Pharmacists Association and other studies. The online questionnaire was opened for 6 months, from April to September 2018. A reminder to participate was sent via email to the community pharmacists every fortnight.ResultsA total of 420 community pharmacists responded to the online questionnaire. Besides essential services such as treatment for minor illness, medicine dispensing and counselling, most of the respondents were providing health screening and monitoring (99.5%), selection and recommendation of health supplements (90.5%), patient medication review (68.8%), weight management (52.4%) and counselling on smoking cessation (51.0%). More than half (53.3%) of the respondents reported that they were providing pharmaceutical care services to patients with chronic diseases. Based on the practice principles of pharmaceutical care, the respondents were involved in patients' data collection (23.3%), medical information evaluation (18.6%), formulating a drug therapy plan (9.3%), implementing a drug therapy plan (4.5%), and monitoring and modifying the plan (18.3%). Lack of separation between prescribing and dispensing was perceived as the main barrier to the implementation of pharmaceutical care services by a majority of the respondents (84.0%).ConclusionsThe present study found that pharmaceutical care services provided by community pharmacists in Malaysia were inadequate compared to international practice principles. Areas that need improvement included collaboration with patients' other health care providers; more proactive management of patient's medicine regimen; having proper patient monitoring and follow-up mechanisms, and documentation.

Factors associated with the intention of community pharmacists to report adverse drug reactions to regulatory authority in Malaysia: application of the theory of planned behaviour.

It is known that community pharmacists in Malaysia underreport adverse drug reactions (ADRs). In order to improve ADR reporting, a theory-based understanding of the factors associated with the community pharmacists' reporting behaviour is important. This study used the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to identify the predictors of behavioural intention to report ADRs to the regulatory authority among community pharmacists in Malaysia and to assess the relative importance of the predictors. A questionnaire-based study was conducted among 188 randomly selected community pharmacists in the state of Johor, Malaysia. The questionnaire included four main TPB constructs (intention, attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control) and related measures, including perceived moral obligation, past reporting behaviour and sociodemographic variables. Descriptive and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. A total of 164 questionnaires were collected. The mean score of intention to report ADRs was 15.43 (SD = 2.99). The final model of the hierarchical regression analysis showed that attitude towards ADR reporting (P = 0.004), subjective norm (P = 0.010) and perceived moral obligation (P = 0.014) were significant predictors of intention to report ADRs. Attitude was the most significant predictor, followed by subjective norm and perceived moral obligation. Interventions targeting community pharmacists' attitude, subjective norms and perceived moral obligations towards ADR reporting, with a specific focus on attitude would likely have a positive impact on improving ADR reporting in Malaysia.

Awareness of osteoporosis risk assessment tools and screening recommendations among community pharmacists in Malaysia.

Background The incidence of osteoporosis in Malaysia is increasing due to a fast-ageing population. Because of its silent nature, various osteoporosis risk assessment tools exist to detect high-risk patients and facilitate referrals for bone mineral density measurements. As an accessible point of contact, community pharmacists would benefit from the utilization of these tools and familiarity with guideline recommendations for osteoporosis screening. Aim This study aimed to investigate the awareness of osteoporosis risk assessment tools, practice behaviour towards osteoporosis, and knowledge of guideline recommendations among community pharmacists in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Setting Community pharmacies. Methods This study was a cross-sectional study which sampled 284 community pharmacists practicing in the Klang Valley, using a stratified sampling approach. The study was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire which was divided into three sections: demographic data, knowledge of osteoporosis risk assessment tools and guideline recommendations, and practice behaviour towards osteoporosis. Practice behaviour was assessed with 15 items using a 5-point Likert scale. Main outcome measure. Proportion of respondents aware of osteoporosis risk assessment tools and respondent knowledge on guideline recommendations for osteoporosis screening. Results A total of 284 community pharmacists participated in the study. 84.1% of the respondents were aware of at least one risk assessment tool. However, only a small proportion of pharmacists (14.9%) regularly used these tools in their practice. Respondents perceived these tools to be relevant and beneficial, but perception towards their accessibility, ease-of-use, and administration time was mixed, suggesting unfamiliarity. Respondents preferred to conduct clinical assessments based on risk factors, with respondents identifying a mean of 10.1 ± 3.4 out of 15 risk factors. However, several clinically relevant risk factors were frequently unidentified. Knowledge of guideline recommendations among respondents was low. Conclusion There is some awareness of osteoporosis risk assessment tools but use in practice remains low among community pharmacists in Malaysia. There is potential to increase the use of these tools and knowledge of recommendations for osteoporosis screening and referral among community pharmacists.

An Exploratory Study of Consumers’ Social Behavior towards Role of Malaysian Community Pharmacists in Providing Healthcare

Aims: Consumers’ awareness, perceptions, expectations and experiences are integral components of their satisfaction towards the quality of care provided by community pharmacists. This study aims to assess consumers’ awareness, perceptions, expectations and experiences about the role of Malaysian community pharmacists in providing healthcare.
 Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
 Place of Study: Penang state in the north of Malaysia. 
 Methodology: A survey was carried out by conveniently selecting the consumers patronizing the community pharmacies. A pretested and validated survey tool with different domains (Cronbach’s alpha ranged from 0.577 to 0.774) was used. Descriptive and inferential statistics (Chi-Square, Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests) were used for analyzing the data using SPSS program, Version 26.
 Results: Of the total 424 questionnaires distributed, 195 (46%) were returned and usable. The median age of the consumers was 30 (IQR = 28-38). Majority of them were female, Chinese, living in urban area and having a bachelor degree. The mean awareness score was 8.39 (± 2.00), mean perception score was 2.95 (± 0.83), mean expectation score was 3.70 (± 0.13), and mean experience score was 3.17 (± 0.97). Trusting a pharmacist’s advice about medicines was significantly associated with the consumer’s age (p= 0.030). age of the consumers was a significant determinant in their perception of community pharmacists suggestions about the use of certain prescription medicines to patients and physicians (p = .001 and p = 0.014, successively). The strongly anticipated that community pharmacists should monitor responses to drug therapy and be more concerned with the patient rather than being profit-oriented (medians = 5 and 4, respectively).
 Conclusion: The consumers in this study were aware of the role of community pharmacists in community pharmacies and healthcare settings. They also reported high perception, expectation and positive experience with the community pharmacists.