scholarly journals Trends in dispensing oral emergency contraceptives and safety issues: a survey of German community pharmacists

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 1499-1506 ◽  
Author(s):  
André Said ◽  
Matthias Ganso ◽  
Leonard Freudewald ◽  
Martin Schulz
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Emergency Services ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Safety Issues ◽  
The Past ◽  
Third Person ◽  
Emergency Contraceptives

Abstract Background Oral emergency contraceptives containing levonorgestrel or ulipristal acetate are available without prescription and only in pharmacies in Germany since March 2015. Due to this change community pharmacists are responsible for evaluating whether the product is appropriate and to educate women on proper use. Objective To measure the utilization of emergency contraceptives without a prescription and describe potential concerns and safety issues identified by community pharmacists in Germany. Setting The Drug Commission of German Pharmacists' nationwide network of reference pharmacies which includes 860 community pharmacies. Methods Reference community pharmacies were asked to participate in the eleven-questions online survey. Respondents were asked to recall their experiences with oral emergency contraceptives in the past 3 months. Data were collected between January 8 and February 19, 2018. Main outcome measure The survey focused on the utilization of emergency contraceptives without a prescription in Germany, and on the pharmacists’ experiences with (potential) problems and concerns regarding safe use. Results In total, 555 community pharmacies (64.5%) participated. Overall 38.2% of community pharmacists stated they dispensed six to ten courses of emergency contraceptives within the past 3 months. In addition, 54.3% of the pharmacists estimated they dispensed emergency contraceptives exclusively without prescription and 35.9% dispensed more than 30% of emergency contraceptives during night-time and emergency services. Moreover, 82.8% of pharmacists stated that emergency contraceptives were requested not by the women concerned but a third person and 44.3% identified uncertainties in woman's self-diagnosis. Three out of four pharmacists had concerns about the effective and safe use of emergency contraceptives. In situations suggesting sexually transmitted diseases, or suspicion for use of force, 59.5% and 55.8% of the pharmacists, respectively, dispensed emergency contraceptives. In cases of acute health impairment or chronic disease, or (potentially) relevant drug/drug interaction, the vast majority (91.0% and 90.5%) did not. Here, most pharmacists referred to gynecologists. Conclusion Pharmacists had safety concerns when dispensing emergency contraceptives. Professional expertise in evaluating the need for oral emergency contraceptives and the proper use is needed.

Australian pharmacists’ willingness to conduct rapid HIV testing in community pharmacies

Sexual Health ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 292
Author(s):  
Anthony J. Santella ◽  
Timothy E. Schlub ◽  
Damien Fagan ◽  
Richard J. Hillman ◽  
Ines Krass
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Hiv Testing ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Hiv Patients ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Rapid Hiv Testing ◽  
Australian Community

Community pharmacists are expanding their roles in health care, especially as they are distributed over wide geographical areas and are often open long hours. New rapid HIV testing technologies may offer further opportunities to expand their roles. A cross-sectional, online survey of Australian community pharmacists found most prepared to provide treatment to HIV patients, with the majority willing to become involved in rapid HIV testing.

scholarly journals Identifying Gaps in Community Pharmacists’ Competence in Medication Risk Management in Routine Dispensing

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Sonja Kallio ◽  
Tiina Eskola ◽  
Marja Airaksinen ◽  
Marika Pohjanoksa-Mäntylä
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Drug Interactions ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Therapeutic Effects ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Medication Risk ◽  
Medication Counselling

Background: Community pharmacists increasingly contribute to medication risk management while dispensing medicines to outpatients. Their risk management actions are shifting from medication counselling towards reviewing medications and following-up their therapeutic effects and outcomes. Acquiring these more clinical tasks require more patient care-oriented competences.  Objective: To identify gaps in community pharmacists’ competence in medication risk management in routine dispensing.  Setting: All community pharmacies in Finland. Method: A national cross-sectional online survey was conducted through the Association of Finnish Pharmacies (n=574 community pharmacies) and the university pharmacies (n=2) in 2015. One pharmacist from each pharmacy was recommended to report on behalf of their outlet.  Main outcome measure: Community pharmacists’ self-assessed competence to: 1) identify medication-related risks, 2) utilise electronic tools in medication risk management, and 3) identify their perceived needs for developing competence in medication risk management. Results:  Responses were received from 169 community pharmacies (response rate 29%). The highest proportion of good competency estimates were self-assessed in confirming doses (98% of the respondents evaluated their competence to be good) and identifying drug-drug interactions (83%). Competence to identify adverse effects, such as serotonergic load (10%) and anticholinergic load (12%), was most seldomly perceived as good. Of the wide range of electronic databases available, respondents most commonly reported using daily summaries of product characteristics (97% of the respondents), the checklist-type generic medicines information database that supports in medication counselling (85%), and the programme assisting in identifying drug-drug interactions (83%). The most commonly reported training needs were related to the identification of serotonergic load (63%), anticholinergic load (62%), and evaluating the clinical significance of drug-drug interactions (54%).   Conclusion: The results indicate remarkable gaps in community pharmacists’ current competence in medication risk management, particularly in their competence in applied and geriatric pharmacotherapy.

scholarly journals Effect of COVID-19 on the Treatment of Infections by Community Pharmacists in Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 106
Author(s):  
Edidiong Orok ◽  
Success David ◽  
Chiemezie Ibegwam
Keyword(s):  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Healthcare Services ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Access To Healthcare ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sexually Transmitted ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
The Way

been one of the most affected since the pandemic has limited their access to healthcare everywhere in the world including Nigeria. Reduced access to healthcare services in hospitals has caused an increase in the number of patient visits to the community pharmacies.  This study was designed to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the treatment of infections by community pharmacists. This study was a prospective cross-sectional study that was carried out among community pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Ibadan, Oyo state and Uyo, Akwa Ibom state due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases from July until August 2020. Data was collected through a pre-tested online questionnaire which was sent to the pharmacists upon provision of consent after the purpose of the study was explained.  A total of one hundred and twenty two pharmacists consented to participate in this study out of which 65 (53.3%) were female. Malaria (81, 66.4%), respiratory tract infections (40, 32.8%) and sexually transmitted infections (1, 0.8%) were identified as infections with the highest frequency by the community pharmacists, while more than 96% (118) pharmacists reported that COVID-19 has affected the way they manage or treat other infections seen in their pharmacy. This study shows that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the way community pharmacists treat other infections in the community pharmacy setting. More studies are needed to explore the specific nature of this effect on specific infections.

Pharmacists’ Perceptions of Feasibility and Development of a Weight Management Program for Implementation in Community Pharmacies

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 629-636
Author(s):  
Yiran Rong ◽  
Lori M. Ward ◽  
Seena Haines ◽  
Meagen Rosenthal
Keyword(s):  
Weight Management ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Weight Management Program ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Over The Counter ◽  
Rural Settings

Background: Community pharmacists-directed weight management programs have demonstrated positive impacts. Objective: To explore the feasibility of developing a community pharmacy-based weight management program by examining pharmacists’ perceptions of the implementation of such a program in their practice setting. Methods: This study employed a cross-sectional online survey design. The respondents were registered community pharmacists in the southeastern United States. The survey contained 5 sections including demographics and questions gauging pharmacists interest in the proposed program. Survey findingswere examined using descriptive statistics, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: A total of 426 surveys were completed and returned. Over half (53.3%) of the respondents obtained a BSc in Pharmacy. Several respondents were already providing prescription (44.1%) or over-the-counter (OTC) product (30.4%) recommendations to patients interested in weight management. Approximately 35% of respondents were at least somewhat interested in starting a weight management program. Pharmacists self-identifying as practicing in chain pharmacy or rural settings or as being staff pharmacists were less in favor of implementing a program than the other groups. Conclusions: Community pharmacists’ respondents appeared interested in implementing a weight management program. The information gathered herein will be used to design a weight management program specifically for community pharmacies.

Drug Shortages — Risk or Reality?

2005 ◽  
Vol 138 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Kirsten Woodend ◽  
Jeff Poston ◽  
Karen Weir
Keyword(s):  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Raw Material ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Eye Drops ◽  
Short Supply ◽  
Drug Shortages ◽  
Drug Products ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Manufacturing Problems

Background: There has been growing concern about possible drug shortages in Canada, yet we know little about the frequency and impact of shortages in community pharmacies. Objective: The objective of this survey was to determine the extent of any drug shortages in Canadian community pharmacies and the implications of these shortages for community pharmacists. Methods: Surveys and log sheets were faxed to a random sample of 1000 Canadian community pharmacists. Results: More than half of the pharmacists experienced a shortage during one shift, and 80% experienced drug shortages over a one-week period. The three main reasons given for shortages were manufacturing problems, cross-border drug trade, and raw material shortages. The drug products that were most frequently in short supply were Chronovera, Loestrin, Sodium Sulamyd eye drops, and Minestrin. Pharmacists estimated that they spent an average of 17.5 minutes each shift dealing with drug shortages. Conclusion: Most pharmacists are experiencing shortages and feel that these shortages have become more frequent over the past year. There are a variety of factors that contribute to drug shortages and, while the amount of time spent dealing with them is manageable at the present time, increases in shortages will further stress the system.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Bexar County community pharmacist attitudes toward harm reduction

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 383-391
Author(s):  
Mikali Shedd ◽  
Anna Bozhkova ◽  
Bethany A. Kalich ◽  
G. Lucy Wilkening
Keyword(s):  
Harm Reduction ◽  
Community Pharmacist ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Interquartile Range ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Bexar County ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Survey Responses ◽  
Pharmacist Attitudes

Abstract Introduction Harm reduction is a term for strategies that minimize the negative outcomes of drug use. Given the progressing opioid epidemic, identifying barriers to harm reduction dispensing in community pharmacies is essential. Methods This online, survey-based study assessed community pharmacist attitudes toward harm reduction and perceived dispense rates of both naloxone and needles/syringes to patients without verifiable injectable prescriptions. The online survey was distributed to members of the Bexar County Pharmacist Association and university alumni. The survey collected demographics, perceived dispense rates of naloxone, needles and syringes, availability of pharmacy protocols for dispensing these products, and Likert-scaled attitudinal questions. Responses were collected for 6 weeks. Results Thirty-two survey responses were analyzed. Participants were generally white (n = 14) or Hispanic/Latino (n = 14), had a median age of 37 years (interquartile range, 32-49 years), and had a median graduation year of 2011 (interquartile range, 1988-2016). Most pharmacists agreed or strongly agreed they should be involved in harm reduction (n = 26) and that pharmacies are an appropriate place to access these resources (n = 26). However, most reported never or rarely dispensing both naloxone (n = 19) and needles and syringes (n = 22). Naloxone or needle and syringe protocol use was reported by 66% (n = 21) and 47% (n = 15) of pharmacists, respectively. Pharmacy protocols significantly enhanced the likelihood of naloxone dispensing (P = .007) but not needle and syringe dispensing (P = .24). Conclusion Community pharmacists exhibited positive attitudes toward harm reduction but reported low rates of dispensing both naloxone and needles and syringes. Pharmacy protocols could be enhanced to better support community pharmacists in this area.

scholarly journals Medication Risk Management in Routine Dispensing in Community Pharmacies

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (21) ◽  
pp. 8186
Author(s):  
Sonja Kallio ◽  
Tiina Eskola ◽  
Marika Pohjanoksa-Mäntylä ◽  
Marja Airaksinen
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Medication Risk

Community pharmacists have a duty to contribute to medication risk management in outpatient care. This study aimed to investigate the actions taken by pharmacists in routine dispensing to manage medication risks. The study was conducted as a national cross-sectional online survey targeted at all community pharmacies in Finland (n = 576) in October 2015. One pharmacist from each pharmacy was recommended to be the spokesperson for the outlet to describe their practices. Responses were received from 169 pharmacies (response rate of 29%). Pharmacists were oriented to solving poor adherence and technical problems in prescriptions, whereas responsibility for therapeutic risks was transferred to the patient to resolve them with the physician. Pharmacists have access to a wide range of electronic medication risk management tools, but they are rarely utilized in daily dispensing. Attention was paid to drug–drug interactions and the frequency of dispensing with regard to high-risk medicines. Pharmacies rarely had local agreements with other healthcare providers to solve medication-related risks. In routine dispensing, more attention needs to be given to the identification and solving of therapeutic risks in medications, especially those of older adults. Better participation of community pharmacists in medication risk management requires stronger integration and an explicit mandate to solve the therapeutic risks.

scholarly journals Epistemic Overconfidence in Algorithmic News Selection

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 182-197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariken Van der Velden ◽  
Felicia Loecherbach
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Positive Interaction ◽  
Third Person Effect ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Past ◽  
Third Person ◽  
News Selection ◽  
Filter Bubbles ◽  
The Third Person

The process of news consumption has undergone great changes over the past decade: Information is now available in an ever-increasing amount from a plethora of sources. Recent work suggests that most people would favor algorithmic solutions over human editors. This stands in contrast to public and scholarly debate about the pitfalls of algorithmic news selection—i.e., the so-called “filter bubbles.” This study therefore investigates reasons and motivations which might lead people to prefer algorithmic gatekeepers over human ones. We expect that people have more algorithmic appreciation when consuming news to pass time, entertain oneself, or out of escapism than when using news to keep up-to-date with politics (H1). Secondly, we hypothesize the extent to which people are confident in their own cognitive abilities to moderate that relationship: When people are overconfident in their own capabilities to estimate the relevance of information, they are more likely to have higher levels of algorithmic appreciation, due to the third person effect (H2). For testing those two pre-registered hypotheses, we conducted an online survey with a sample of 268 US participants and replicated our study using a sample of 384 Dutch participants. The results show that the first hypothesis cannot be supported by our data. However, a positive interaction between overconfidence and algorithmic appreciation for the gratification of surveillance (i.e., gaining information about the world, society, and politics) was found in both samples. Thereby, our study contributes to our understanding of the underlying reasons people have for choosing different forms of gatekeeping when selecting news.

scholarly journals The Exposure of Pharmacists and Pharmacy Assistants to COVID-19: A Cross-sectional Study in Libya

2021 ◽  
Vol 06 (03) ◽  
pp. 9-19
Author(s):  
Faisa Alzunni ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Cumulative Number ◽  
Exposure Risk ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Elevated Exposure

Introduction: As per the WHO reports dated July 7, 2021, 184,324,026 confirmed cases of COVID-19 were found in the world and 196,894 cases were found in Libya. Healthcare workers (HCWs), pharmacists, in particular, have been affected a lot because of COVID-19. Community pharmacies are considered workplaces with elevated exposure risk to COVID-19. Method: This study aims to roughly estimate the risk of COVID-19 exposure among pharmacists and pharmacy assistants working in pharmacies in Libya. An anonymous cross-sectional online survey was conducted among pharmacists and pharmacy assistants working in hospital pharmacies and community pharmacies. Between November 11th, 2020 and January 7th, 2021, a Google Form questionnaire was delivered through social media and instant messaging platforms, to certified community pharmacists and pharmacy assistants residing in Libya. Results: Out of 207 respondents, the majority (72.4%) reported having at least one or more flu-like symptoms. In addition, 52.17% of them reported that one of their relatives had at least one or more flu-like symptoms. The most common symptoms reported by respondents were headache (46.9%), tiredness (42.5%), fever (31.9%), and loss of smell and taste sensation (29.0%). The period with the highest number of all the symptomatic respondents as well as those with symptoms suggestive of COVID-19 was between August to October 2020. Correspondingly, 108 (52.17%) symptomatic respondents had a relative with symptoms. Conclusion: The majority of respondents reported having flu-like symptoms in the period from August to October. Moreover, the highest cumulative number of people with suggestive COVID-19 symptoms reported their symptoms in the same period.

Weiterentwicklung der «Waldpolitik 2020» aus Sicht der Schweizer Waldstakeholder

2016 ◽  
Vol 167 (4) ◽  
pp. 221-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid Zabel ◽  
Eva Lieberherr
Keyword(s):  
Policy Process ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Forest Policy ◽  
Legislative Process ◽  
Expert Interviews ◽  
The Past ◽  
Conflicting Interests ◽  
Forest Act

Advancement of the Swiss Forest Policy 2020 from stakeholders' perspectives In light of the ending of the Swiss “ Forest Policy 2020”, this article assesses the goals, challenges and concerns of Swiss forest stakeholders in relation to forest policy post 2020. The data were collected through expert interviews and an online survey. The results show that securing an economically sustainable forest management and economically viable silvicultural businesses are key concerns for many stakeholders. Apart from these issues, several further and sometimes conflicting interests were mentioned. The study concludes that a debate on an adjustment of the weights given to goals in the Swiss Forest Policy 2020 may be commendable. However, there does not appear to be need for a complete change of course in order to address the stakeholders' needs and concerns. In terms of policy process, most stakeholders positively evaluated the past planning and development process of the Swiss Forest Policy 2020, but also provided suggestions for improvements. Finally, a network analysis revealed that the Swiss Federal Agency for the Environment, the Swiss Forest Owners Association and the Conference of Cantonal Foresters played a central role in the amendment of the Swiss Federal Forest Act. The analysis also showed that more stakeholders find each other as important than actually work together in a legislative process.

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