Perceptions Of Pharmacists Research Articles

Awareness, practices and perceptions of community pharmacists towards antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship in Libya: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundCommunity pharmacists play a vital role in promoting appropriate use of antibiotics in the community. This study evaluated the practices and perceptions of community pharmacists towards antibiotic use, antibiotic resistance, and antimicrobial stewardship in Libya.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among community pharmacists in Libya using a 47-item validated, pre-tested online questionnaire. Data was collected from December 2021 to February 2022 and was analysed using descriptive and inferential analyses.ResultsOf the 114 questionnaires included in the analysis, 54.4% were females, 78.1% had < 10 year working experience (78.1%), and 81.6% had a Bachelor of Pharmacy. Most (78.1%) strongly agreed/agreed that community pharmacists have an important role to play to reduce antibiotic resistance. Overall, the participants had a moderate perception towards antimicrobial resistance (median score: 21.5; IQR [16–28] out of 35.0). More than 40% supply antibiotics when patients requested them specifically, because if they do not supply them, patients will just go to another pharmacy. About 47% strongly agreed/agreed that if a patient cannot afford a full course of antibiotics all in one go, they will give them a smaller amount that they are able to afford at that time, even when a longer duration of treatment is required. Most (66.7%) had no previous involvement in antibiotics awareness campaign due to ‘I have never heard about the campaign’ (48.7%) and ‘I do not have enough time to participate’ (22.4%). Overall, the perception towards antimicrobial stewardship was good (20 [13–25] out of 25.0). Raising awareness of rational antibiotic use, including antimicrobial resistance, among pharmacy students (83.4%) and patient education by pharmacists in community pharmacies at the time medicines are supplied to patients (81.6%) were the most common strategies to improve rational use of antibiotics in community pharmacy.ConclusionsCommunity pharmacists in Libya recognise their role in reducing antimicrobial resistance. They had a moderate perception towards antimicrobial resistance and a good perception towards antimicrobial stewardship. However, inappropriate antibiotic practices were common. The most common strategies to improve rational use of antibiotics in community pharmacy were raising awareness about the rational antibiotic use among pharmacy students and patient education by community pharmacists at the time antibiotics are dispensed to patients. Regulations are needed to restrict dispensing antibiotics without prescription among community pharmacists.

Qualitative exploration of perspectives of the pharmacists working in public-sector hospitals during COVID-19 pandemic

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic, a serious global health threat, has excruciating social and economic implications given its transmissibility, lack of therapy, and severity. In such a situation, pharmacists as frontline healthcare professionals hold a significant position to tackle. This study was designed to explore the perception and preparedness of pharmacists working in public sector hospitals amid such a pandemic in Pakistan.MethodsA total of 11 pharmacists were interviewed for this qualitative study design through a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim.ResultsThe thematic content analysis yielded six major themes; understanding of COVID-19, perceptions towards COVID-19, preventive aspects, management aspects, changes to lifestyle, and psychological aspects. Though efficient preparedness and approach to fighting against such pandemics were reported, pharmacists were found susceptible to infection and psychological stress. They also expressed lockdown as an effective measure to prevent the disease from spreading but still were concerned about its economic and social impact.ConclusionsAdequate planning and facilities from the national level should be made available for strengthening the hospital pharmacy service that helps improve the overall healthcare system of low- and middle-income countries like Pakistan. The provision of a protective facility, incentives, and occupational health surveillance packages are deemed necessary to boost the self-esteem and morale of hospital pharmacists that safeguard the early and effective management of such disasters.

Barriers and facilitators of integration of pharmacists in the provision of clinical pharmacy services in Tanzania

BackgroundCollaboration between medical doctors and nurses in the provision of healthcare services has been there for decades. The concept of clinical pharmacy services as a main goal for pharmacy practice is relatively new and is yielding more positive results for healthcare providers (HCPs), patients, and the health system. This study assessed barriers and facilitators toward the integration of pharmacists in the provision of CPS in Tanzania.MethodsA qualitative study was conducted in five tertiary hospitals representing Tanzania mainland. Ten (10) focus group discussions (FGDs) with 83 HCPs and 14 in-depth interviews (IDIs) with hospital administrators in referral hospitals were conducted between August and September 2021. The experienced qualitative researchers moderated the IDIs and FGDs, and all discussions were audio-recorded. Finally, the audios were transcribed verbatim, and analysis was done using a thematic approach.ResultsLimited skills, lack of confidence, poor communication, inferiority, and superiority behaviors among HCPs were among the mentioned barriers. Shortage of pharmacists, lack of in-job training, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and guidelines were also mentioned. The study noted the high acceptability of CPS by other HCPs, the positive perception of pharmacists, and the recognition of CPS by the Tanzania Pharmacy Act and regulation.ConclusionThe facilitators and barriers to the integration of pharmacists in the provision of CPS lie at the individual, health facility, and health system levels. Therefore, the study recommends in-job pharmacists training, fostering teamwork among HCPs, and development of CPS SoPs, and guidelines.

Perceptions Regarding Antimicrobial Resistance and Stewardship Programs among Healthcare Professionals.

Antimicrobial resistance is an important global problem resulting in an improper response of infections to antimicrobials and an increase in the duration and cost of treatment. Healthcare professionals play an important role in addressing Antimicrobial resistance and positive perception is important for involvement in antimicrobial stewardship policies. Hence the perception of key Healthcare professionals, including physicians, nurses, and hospital pharmacists, towards Antimicrobial resistance antimicrobial stewardship policies was studied. A cross-sectional study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital at Lalitpur, from January to March 2021 using stratified random sampling. An online questionnaire was circulated to the selected Healthcare professionals. Median Antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship policy scores were calculated and compared among different subgroups. Previous engagement with Antimicrobial resistance and antimicrobial stewardship policies programs was also noted. Descriptive statistics, Mann Whitney, and Kruskal Wallis tests were used for data analysis. The response rate was 89.3% (202/226). Antimicrobial resistance was regarded as a serious problem in the Nepali community by participants with work experience of 1-5 years, 87 (75.6%, p=0.029), and female participants, 62 (45.5%, p<0.001). Most physicians, females, and participants with working experience 1-5 years believed inappropriate use of antibiotics can harm patients and is professionally unethical. Physicians supported the availability of local antimicrobial guidelines and protocols. The median scores for Antimicrobial resistance (p<0.001) and Antimicrobial resistance eradication (p=0.048) differed according to age groups. Healthcare professionals believed Antimicrobial resistance was an important issue. Antibiotic guidelines developed should be strictly implemented. Healthcare professionals also believed inappropriate use of antibiotics can harm patients and is professionally unethical.

Informing a collaborative-care model for delivering medication assisted treatment for opioid dependence (MATOD): An analysis of pharmacist, prescriber and patient perceptions.

Demand for medication assisted treatment for opioid dependence (MATOD) in Australia exceeds capacity, particularly in rural and regional areas. There is increasing recognition that community pharmacists are well-positioned to take on expanded roles in MATOD delivery, however there has been limited Australian research exploring attitudes of pharmacists, prescribers, and patients to collaborative models of care. This study aimed to better understand enablers and barriers to a collaborative model for MATOD, to inform implementation in regions where increases in treatment capacity are urgently needed. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with pharmacists (n=11), prescribers (n=6), and patients (n=8) recruited from the Frankston-Mornington Peninsula region in Victoria, Australia, where transport and access to services have impacts on health care utilisation. The COM-B model was used to explore perceptions of pharmacists' capability, opportunity, and motivations for delivering collaborative care. There was strong motivation among healthcare professionals to participate in a collaborative model of care, with the main perceived benefits including improvements in accessibility, convenience, and continuity of care, and leverage of pharmacists' high level of patient engagement. Key barriers identified by both pharmacists and prescribers included a perceived lack of pharmacist skills in some areas (capability) and resources (opportunity) to deliver collaborative care in a community pharmacy setting. Established relationships between all stakeholders (social opportunity) and communication between pharmacists and prescribers were identified as facilitators. Barriers and facilitators aligned with seven key areas: skills, confidence, relationships, patient selection, protocols, communication and resources. Findings informed the development of a collaborative model that was individualised, protocol based, and supported by training and clear processes. This study identifies specific barriers and facilitators to a pharmacist-prescriber collaborative model of care for MATOD. The resulting model will be tested in a hybrid implementation-effectiveness trial in the Frankston-Mornington Peninsula region.

Profile of Existing Pharmacists and Patient Perceptions of Pharmaceutical Services at Pharmacies in East Java

The role of pharmacists in pharmaceutical services requires pharmacists to build professional and courtesy expectations to provide better pharmaceutical services. This study aims to describe the existing conditions of pharmaceutical practices for pharmacist and patient perceptions of pharmaceutical services in pharmacies. A descriptive observational study with cross sectional design was conducted on 29 pharmacists and 53 patients in East Java. The variable of this research is the pharmacist's image which is measured by competence, ethics, communication skills, and emotional intelligence. The results showed that 100% of pharmacists believe in their competence, ethics, and communication skills. As many as 62% of pharmacists have a moderate category on the dimensions of emotional intelligence. The patients' perceptions of pharmacists for competence, ethics, and communication skills were 96.2%, 96.2%, and 92.5%, respectively. The respondents, both pharmacists, and patients, have a good perception of the pharmaceutical services provided by pharmacists. However, the emotional intelligence of pharmacist needs to be improved.

Exploring the discord between pharmacy education and practice in antimicrobial stewardship.

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) is a critical global intervention aimed at optimising antimicrobial use and decreasing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) with pharmacists playing a pivotal role within AMS teams. However, AMS is not comprehensively taught in pharmacy curricula and little is known about the relevance of pharmacists' training to meet AMS needs in South Africa. This study aimed to explore the attitudes, knowledge and perceptions of clinical pharmacists towards AMS participation and training in South Africa. This study was conducted among clinically practicing pharmacists in public and private healthcare sectors in South Africa. A quantitative exploratory research design was selected for this study. The study was conducted using a self-administered structured survey. Categorical variables were analysed using simple descriptive statistics. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were applied to determine differences between variables. Pharmacists demonstrated good attitudes knowledge and perceptions towards AMS (median 4.3). There was statistical significant differences in AMS participation between pharmacists of different years of experience (p = 0.005), sector of employment (p = 0.01), position of employment (p = 0.015) and presence of AMS programmes (p = 0.004). Pharmacists indicated that their Bachelor of Pharmacy undergraduate studies inadequately prepared them for their role in AMS (median 4.3). Pharmacists show positive attitudes, knowledge and perceptions towards AMS. Education and training in AMS principles is obtained through master's programmes, short courses, Continued Professional Development (CPDs) and workshops and insufficiently incorporated in undergraduate programmes. This study confirms that undergraduate pharmacy programmes inadequately prepare pharmacists for their role in AMS.

Conciliation médicamenteuse et sécurisation de la transition hôpital–ville : enquête auprès des pharmaciens d’officine

To collect the community pharmacists' perception on their role in the medication reconciliation's process. We did an observational transverse study thanks to a survey of community pharmacists working in France, conducted in 2020. A digital questionnaire was submitted to Parisian community pharmacists before being shared on two Facebook groups. The responses were analysed with Microsoft Excel® software. We calculated percentages, used Chi2or Fisher's exact tests and did qualitative analyses. We collected the perception of 135community pharmacists, the majority was women (80%), relatively young (69.6% of 40years old or less). They were 63.7% to claim knowing the medication reconciliation, but they could not define it properly. The subject's knowledge was statistically related to age (P-value<0.001) and previous contacts of the health care facilities (P-value<0.001). The majority of interviewed pharmacist considered the transmission of information to those health facilities as relevant and feasible and they expressed their willingness to get involved. However, they were limited by some obstacles such as the non-exhaustiveness of the medicinal record, the unsecured mail and the lack of feedbacks. Although the community pharmacists expressed interest for the medication reconciliation process and willingness to get involved, their role remained limited. Therefore, this process needs an improvement of its organisation and a generalisation of its practice to really benefit the hospital-community transition's safety.

Perception of community pharmacists on abuse of psychotropic medications among the consumers

Purpose: Abuse of medications implies that the user is using them for reasons other than those indicated in the prescribing literature. Psychotropic medications are those capable of affecting the mind, motions, and behavior of humans. This study sought to determine the perception of community pharmacists about the pattern of psychotropic medication abuse among their customers.Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional study carried out among community pharmacists in Surulere axis of Lagos State, Nigeria, by census sampling method using a structured questionnaire.Results: Majority of the respondents (74.7%) were male and within ten years of practice experience (85.1%). About four-fifth (84.4%) of the respondents perceived that psychotropic medications were being abused by customers purchasing such medications from them. Caffeine-based analgesics ranked highest (85.1%) among the drugs perceived to be abused while dextromethorphan-containing cough syrup, sedative antihistamine, codeine-based analgesics, tramadol, oral decongestant, and benzodiazepines were perceived to be equally abused (84.4%). Male customers were perceived to abuse psychotropic medications more than their female counterparts and abuse of tramadol and codeine-based analgesics were specifically noted to be higher in customers younger than 26 years of age.Conclusion: Consumer psychotropic medication abuse at community pharmacies was perceived to be ignificant in Lagos community pharmacies.

Pharmacist perceptions of a “good death” and differences in perception between patients with cancer, oncologists, and oncology nurses: a questionnaire survey

BackgroundFor pharmacists expected to encounter the deaths of many of their patients in the near future, it is important to understand the perception of a “good death” for patients with cancer who are likely to be aware of the circumstances of their poor prognosis. In this study, we clarified pharmacists’ perceptions of a “good death” and considered the differences in perception among patients with cancer, oncologists, and oncology nurses.MethodsFrom April to June 2022, an anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted on pharmacists working in hospitals and pharmacies and on members of the Japanese Society for Pharmaceutical Palliative Care and Sciences. The questionnaire consisted of 57 questions, called attributes, developed by Miyashita et al. to investigate the perception of “good death” in Japanese cancer medicine. The importance of those attributes was investigated using a 7-point Likert scale.ResultsThree thousand four hundred thirty-two pharmacists were made aware of this survey, and 207 participated in the survey. The responses of pharmacists to the 57 questions were very similar to those of the oncologists. Among them, “Fighting against disease until one’s last moment” and “Not making trouble for others” had very low importance, which was the most significantly different from the responses of patients with cancer. “Fighting against disease until one’s last moment” tended to be significantly underestimated by pharmacists engaged in patient guidance and interview compared to that by pharmacists not engaged in the duty (p = 0.02). Also, when we compared pharmacists with or without qualifications related to cancer and palliative care, there was no significant difference in the importance of “Fighting against disease until one’s last moment.” However, the importance of “Not making trouble for others” for qualified pharmacists was significantly underestimated (p = 0.04).ConclusionSince pharmacists understand the limits of chemotherapy, they may want to be close to the patient but may not strongly agree with the “Fighting against cancer” component that patients with cancer prefer. It may be necessary to reconsider better ways of approaching the wishes and satisfaction of patients with cancer under the care of medical professionals in the field of oncology.

Insights into British Columbian Hospital Pharmacists Perspectives on the Discharge Process.

Background: Transitions of care represent a vulnerable time for patients where unintended therapeutic changes are common and inadequate communication of information frequently results in medication errors. Pharmacists have a large impact on the success of patients during these care transitions; however, their role and experiences are largely absent from the literature. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to gain a greater understanding of British Columbian hospital pharmacists' perceptions of the hospital discharge process and their role in it. Methods: A qualitative study utilizing focus groups and key informant interviews of British Columbian hospital pharmacists was conducted from April to May 2021. Questions asked during interviews were developed following a detailed literature search and included questions regarding the use of frequently studied interventions. Interview sessions were transcribed and then thematically analyzed using both NVivo software and manual coding. Results: Three focus groups with a total of 20 participants and one key informant interview were conducted. Six themes were identified through data analysis: (1) overall perspectives; (2) important roles of pharmacists in discharges; (3) patient education; (4) barriers to optimal discharges; (5) solutions to current barriers; and (6) prioritization. Conclusions and Relevance: Pharmacists play a vital role in patient discharges but due to limited resources and inadequate staffing models, they are often unable to be optimally involved. Understanding the thoughts and perceptions of pharmacists on the discharge process can help us better allocate limited resources to ensure patients receive optimal care.

General practitioners' perceptions of pharmacists working in general practice: a qualitative interview study.

Pharmacists in general practice have been shown to enhance patient care and are becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide. Yet, little is known about general practitioners' (GPs') perceptions of pharmacists prior to potentially working alongside them in this setting. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate these GP perceptions to inform future efforts to integrate pharmacists into general practice. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with GPs practising in the Republic of Ireland between October and December 2021. Content analysis was used to identify the most relevant Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) domains that affected the theoretical integration of pharmacists into general practice. Fifteen GPs were interviewed. Five TDF domains were found to be most relevant in affecting pharmacist integration: (1) 'environmental context and resources' (space, government funding, information technology, current workplace pressures, increasing patient complexity, indemnity, moves towards group practices); (2) 'skills' (GP mentors, practical in-service training, consultation skills development); (3) 'social professional role and identity' (role definition, clinical governance, pharmacist prescribing, medication review and monitoring); (4) 'beliefs about consequences' (patient safety, cost savings, workload); and (5) 'knowledge' (pharmacists as medication experts, lack of knowledge of pharmacist undergraduate training). This is the first qualitative interview study to focus on exploring GPs' perceptions of pharmacists working in general practice outside of private practice settings. It has provided a deeper understanding of GPs' considerations regarding the integration of pharmacists into general practice. In addition to informing future research, these findings should help optimise future service design and aid pharmacist integration into general practice.

Survey of critical care pharmacists on sedation and analgesia practices in adult and pediatric patients receiving continuous neuromuscular blocking agents

AbstractIntroductionThere is a lack of recommendations regarding sedation/analgesia practices for patients receiving continuous or frequent boluses of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs), which may cause variation among different clinical practice sites.ObjectivesThe primary objective of this study was to determine critical care pharmacist's perceptions and practices regarding sedation/analgesia for patients receiving NMBAs and to compare sedation/analgesia regimens among adult and pediatric populations.MethodsA 10‐question survey was provided to critical care pharmacists regarding practice site, comfort using NMBAs, and monitoring practices. Respondents could select all sedation/analgesia regimens they commonly see, would recommend, and would consider inappropriate. Responses from adult and pediatric pharmacists were compared.ResultsOf the 2435 pharmacists who received the survey, 192 (7.9%) completed the survey. Most respondents practiced in the United States (97.9%), cared for adult patients (60.7%), and worked in a medical intensive care unit (ICU) (81.3%). Most respondents reported monitoring sedation depth (82.6%) with vitals (49%) and bispectral index (30.3%) being the most common methods. The most commonly observed regimens were continuous infusion (CI) benzodiazepine and CI opioid (n = 114, 66.7%), followed by propofol and CI opioid (n = 104, 60.8%). These were also the most commonly recommended regimens (n = 102, 59.6%; n = 108, 63.2%), respectively. Most respondents would not recommend monotherapy regimens. Dexmedatomidine was utilized and recommended significantly more by pediatric pharmacists while propofol was utilzied and recommended more by adult pharmaicsts. Regimens deemed inappropriate were similar between adult and pediatric pharmacists except for dexmedetomidine‐containing regimens which significantly more adult pharmacists deemed inappropriate.ConclusionDespite a lack of guideline recommendations, use of combination therapy with sedation/analgesia was frequently reported; however, the choice of sedation agent was variable. Given concern with the inability to achieve deep sedation with dexmedetomidine and a high response rate recommending/utilizing dexmedetomidine, further research is needed to guide recommendations for providing appropriate sedation/analgesia to patients receiving NMBAs.

HIV Patients' Satisfaction with Pharmaceutical Care at a Nigerian Tertiary Healthcare Facility During the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Background: Patients' satisfaction is an important indicator of determining the quality of pharmaceutical care (PC). This study investigated Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients' satisfaction with PC at Federal Medical Centre, Keffi-Nigeria and determined the statistical correlation between the respondents' socio-demographic variables and their satisfaction with PC. Methods: This cross-sectional survey study involved 351 randomly selected HIV-positive patients receiving PC in the facility. A Likert-type questionnaire was used for the data collection. Results: The Cronbach's alpha of the questionnaire was .916. The "overall perception of pharmacists' care or service" had a mean satisfaction score of 4.24 ± 0.749 and "the amount of time spent with the pharmacists" had a mean score of 3.94 ± 0.791. No significant association was found between socio-demographic variables and overall patients' satisfaction with PC. Conclusion: The reliability of the questionnaire was high and the HIV patients had a good satisfaction with the PC they received in the facility.

Perception of Pharmacists about Pharmacy Health Insurances Services in Saudi Arabia

Perception of Pharmacists about Pharmacy Health Insurances Services in Saudi Arabia

Public's Perception of Pharmacist.

Public's Perception of Pharmacist.

Perception of Pharmacists about Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Pharmacy Services in Saudi Arabia

Perception of Pharmacists about Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Pharmacy Services in Saudi Arabia

Perception of Pharmacists About the High-Risk/Alert Medications in Saudi Arabia Abstract

Perception of Pharmacists About the High-Risk/Alert Medications in Saudi Arabia Abstract

Attitudes and Perceptions of Pharmacists About Home care pharmacy services in Saudi Arabia

Attitudes and Perceptions of Pharmacists About Home care pharmacy services in Saudi Arabia

Perception of Pharmacists About the Saudi Pharmacist Licensure Exam

Perception of Pharmacists About the Saudi Pharmacist Licensure Exam