‘Catching chlamydia’: combining cash incentives and community pharmacy access for increased chlamydia screening, the view of young people

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhian M. Parker ◽  
Allison Bell ◽  
Marian J. Currie ◽  
Louise S. Deeks ◽  
Gabrielle Cooper ◽  
...  

In Australia and elsewhere, chlamydia screening rates for those aged between 16 and 30 years continue to be low. Innovative, age-appropriate approaches are necessary to increase chlamydia screening among this target group to prevent short- and long-term consequences of the infection such as pelvic inflammatory disease, chronic pelvic pain, ectopic pregnancy and infertility. Studies have demonstrated that offering chlamydia screening in community pharmacies may be a useful adjunct to current screening services. Approximately 90% of Australians visit a pharmacy at least once a year. Chlamydia screening and education in community pharmacies with remuneration may provide another option for opportunistic testing as part of a national chlamydia screening scheme. Compensation is an accepted practice in the field of research and has been demonstrated to improve adherence to health promotion activities. In 2011, a cross-sectional study of community pharmacy-based chlamydia screening offered in conjunction with an A$10 cash incentive to participate was conducted in the Australian Capital Territory. As part of this study young people were asked about their experience of, and views about, pharmacy-based chlamydia screening. The views of consented participants were collected using the one-page questionnaire consisting of 10 closed questions and one open-ended question. Participants completed the questionnaire when they returned their urine sample and before being given the cash incentive. Overall participants were highly satisfied with the pharmacy-based chlamydia screening service. Over 60% of questionnaire respondents felt that the payment did affect their decision to have the chlamydia test, and 23% stated that it made no difference. Young people reported that pharmacy-based screening is acceptable and convenient. Accessibility and the small cash incentive played significant roles in increasing participation.

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3973 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Balayssac ◽  
Bruno Pereira ◽  
Julie Virot ◽  
Céline Lambert ◽  
Aurore Collin ◽  
...  

Background Like other health professionals, community pharmacists are exposed to stress factors (being efficient, avoiding mistakes and bearing emotional load), but they are also under the pressure of entrepreneurial responsibilities. The main objective was to assess the level of work-related stress in French community pharmacies. The other objectives of the study were to assess the associated comorbidities and causes of work-related stress. Methods This observational cross-sectional study was sent to all French community pharmacies by email. The survey was anonymous and designed to collect the following items: socio-demographic factors, professional status, characteristics of community pharmacy, work-related stress (visual analogic scale—VAS), fatigue (VAS), sleep disturbances (questions), anxiety and depression symptoms (hospital anxiety and depression scale), medical consultation for work-related stress, medication use for work related stress, psychoactive drug-use and causes of work-related stress. Participants were included in the survey if they were pharmacists (owner or assistant) or pharmacy technicians working in a community pharmacy at the time of the survey. Exclusion criteria were defined as follows: pharmacy students or other professionals involved in a community pharmacy (e.g. dietician, beautician) and lack of professional status information. There was no age limitation. Results After three months of data collection, 1,339 participants answered the survey and 1,272 participants were included in conformity with the inclusion and exclusion criteria, and to avoid missing data on the primary endpoint. Work-related stress was detected in 32.8% (417/1,272) of individuals (scores ≥70/100). Men were significantly more affected than women and there was no difference between professional statuses and no relation with the age of the participants. Work-related stress was significantly associated with anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbances, medical consultations, medication use, alcohol consumption above the WHO recommendations for men and psychoactive drug use. Three causes of stress were clearly identified and related to stress levels, workload, working atmosphere and deterioration of work quality. However, causes of work-related stress were significantly different among professionals, for example: entrepreneurial burden for pharmacists-in-charge and workload for employees (assistant pharmacists and pharmacy technicians). Discussion Work-related stress has a very strong impact in French community pharmacies. This stress was associated with several comorbidities and induces health resource consumption. Several causes of work-related stress have been identified such as workload, working atmosphere and deterioration of work quality; however, these causes could be detected and managed to improve stress levels. We recommend developing individual and organizational stress management in French community pharmacies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 205031212097451
Author(s):  
Sunil Shrestha ◽  
Nisha Jha ◽  
Subish Palaian ◽  
Pathyil Ravi Shankar

Good knowledge, awareness and preparedness regarding coronavirus disease 2019, among community pharmacy practitioners (CPPs), will enable them to provide correct information and support to patients, convey instructions from the public health authorities and protect their own health. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine knowledge, awareness and preparedness regarding coronavirus disease 2019 among CPPs working in Kathmandu, Nepal. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sampling method from 10 February to 25 March 2020. Data were analysed descriptively, and one-sample independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance were used to compare scores among different subgroups of respondents ( p < 0.05). Post hoc analyses (following analysis of variance) were done using the Bonferroni test. Results: A total of 81 CPPs participated. Mean ± standard deviation age was 26.70 ± 5.29 years. Majority of the respondents were male (64.2%). Many CPPs (40.7%) had work experience between 1 and 5 years. Almost half (45.7%) had an educational qualification of Diploma in Pharmacy. Significant differences in knowledge ( p = 0.022) and preparedness ( p < 0.001) were found among individuals with differing levels of work experience. Similarly, a significant difference was found between knowledge-preparedness and work experience ( p = 0.022 and p < 0.001), location of pharmacy ( p < 0.001) and educational qualification ( p = 0.031). Awareness ( p < 0.001) and preparedness scores ( p = 0.049) were different among community pharmacies with the different number of medicines available. Conclusion: Knowledge was found to be higher in CPPs with a work experience of more than 5 years. CPPs working at larger community pharmacies were more aware and prepared. CPPs’ knowledge, awareness and preparedness should be evaluated more widely and strengthened.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4-s) ◽  
pp. 6-12
Author(s):  
Shuhd Alawi ◽  
Nazeh Al-Abd ◽  
Ali Rageh ◽  
Wafa F.S. Badulla ◽  
Mohammed Alshakka

Background: Pharmaceutical care (PC) is the value of a practice that includes recognizing and solving medication therapy issues to improve patient outcomes. Studies regarding this issue in Yemen are very limited. Objectives: The study aims to assess the perception of community pharmacists to the concept of Pharmaceutical care and the obstacles that limit the provision of pharmaceutical care. Method: A descriptive cross-sectional study of community pharmacy dispensers (CPDs) was conducted among pharmacists and pharmacy technicians working in community pharmacies in different areas of South Yemen from September 2019 until December 2019. The structured self-administered questionnaires consist of four sections dealing with the demographics of participants and their understanding of the concept of pharmaceutical care and their attitudes and obstacles to the implementation of pharmaceutical care in Yemen. The collected data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 Results: A total of Two-hundred pharmacists were included in this study. The result revealed that there were a reasonable number of experts (over 5 years' experience) and educated pharmacists( Diploma and bachelor’s degree) available for counseling patients about specific issues in the community pharmacies. Interestingly, all the respondents had good knowledge of pharmaceutical care and the majority of the pharmacists (87.5%) had a favorable attitude toward pharmaceutical care and their role in the health care system. The overall results relating to the perceived frequency of community pharmacy services provision was lower than (50%) in most statements. The result indicated a gap in the community pharmacists' communication with the patients. There are several barriers impedes the active and effective involvement of community pharmacists such as; insufficient communication with physicians, lack of physical space for pharmaceutical care, the slow introduction of pharmacists’ law, and others. Conclusion: The results revealed that pharmacists' understanding of the pharmaceutical care concept is good despite that there was no real implementation of pharmaceutical care. Even though they had positive attitudes towards the concept but there were many barriers to the effective application. Keywords: Pharmaceutical Care Concept; Community Pharmacists; South Yemen


2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 1144-1150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Belen Villace ◽  
Alicia Ruth Fernandez ◽  
Moacyr Lobo da Costa Junior

OBJECTIVE: to identify alcohol consumption in young people between 18 and 24 years of age in the province of Córdoba who participated in the National Survey of Risk Factors, according to sociodemographic characteristics. METHOD: a quantitative, analytic and cross-sectional study was undertaken in a sample of 240 young people. The alcohol consumption and sociodemographic characteristics were analyzed using bivariate analysis, risk ratio and confidence intervals. RESULTS: the lifetime prevalence of alcohol consumption corresponded to 79.17%, the one-year prevalence to 72.91% and the one-month prevalence to 57.08%, while episodic abuse and regular hazardous consumption corresponded to 25.55% and 24.19%. Consumption levels in the last month were higher among males (p=0.0028), single people (p=0.0001), with a secondary education degree (p=0.0306). CONCLUSION: in the province of Córdoba, drugs use, including alcohol, has not been an area of research interest in recent years, although alcohol abuse is associated with other risk factors, like accidents and violence, and is a factor of comorbidity and early mortality. Therefore, alcohol consumption in young people represents an area of concern and, once characterized, preventive actions should be adopted.


Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 187
Author(s):  
John Mishriky ◽  
Ieva Stupans ◽  
Vincent Chan

Pain is a common and debilitating condition requiring appropriate assessment and management. The consequences of inadequate treatment of pain is well known; however, research investigating pain management practices and the benefits Australian community pharmacies offer in pain management are more limited. This study investigated the knowledge and practices of Australian adults experiencing pain, and their views of community pharmacy pain management services. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a pre-tested anonymous self-administered questionnaire. Participants were recruited from ten community pharmacies across metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. A total of 120 participants completed the questionnaire. Most reported that their pain interfered with their quality/functionality-of-life. Paracetamol was the pharmacological preference irrespective of pain severity experienced. Approximately 30% did not believe that visiting a community pharmacy is helpful in pain management, but many reported their pain management knowledge could be improved, yet more than 60% disagreed when asked whether they would rather visit a supermarket than their pharmacy to purchase analgesics. More than half believed that community pharmacies can and should offer more pain management services. This suggests that enhancing the involvement of community pharmacists can help bridge gaps in pain management knowledge, which may provide greater positive outcomes for patients experiencing pain symptoms.


Author(s):  
Muhammad Aziz ◽  
Wenjing Ji ◽  
Imran Masood ◽  
Muhammad Farooq ◽  
Muhammad Malik ◽  
...  

Purpose: Patient satisfaction can identify specific areas of improvement in community pharmacy services. Currently in Pakistan, no evidence exists in this regard. This study was conducted to determine the needs of patients and the current standards of pharmacies. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between October 2016 and June 2017. A pilot tested questionnaire was used to collected the data from 1088 patients of 544 community pharmacies. Likert scale and one way ANOVA was used to analyze the data. Results: The response rate of community pharmacies was 80% and that of purchasers was 68.1%. The mean age of participants was 35.2 years. The mean overall satisfaction score of participants was 2.78/5.00. Many patients were dissatisfied (1.65/5.00) with parking facilities provided by pharmacies. Pharmacy service time fulfilled the requirements of most patients (4.16/5.00). The counseling person’s good attitude (3.99/5.00) was credited by purchasers. Level of patient satisfaction with the availability of medicines (3.19/5.00), safe storage of medicines in pharmacy stores (3.66/5.00), and quality of medicines (3.41/5.00) were almost moderate. Many patients were very satisfied (4.35/5.00) with readable instructions for their medications. Approximately half of the patients were dissatisfied with the waiting time. Many patients were also dissatisfied (2.28/5.00) with the knowledge of the counseling person. Patients perceived that staff interest in patient recovery (2.24/5.00) was low. No significant difference in level of satisfaction with regard to participant’s characteristics was found. Conclusions: The current study demonstrated a low level of patient satisfaction with regard to community pharmacy services in Pakistan. These services need improvement.


2020 ◽  
pp. 620-633

INTRODUCTION. The COVID-19 pandemic has proved that community pharmacies play a pivotal role in providing medicines, information and safety measures to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2. PURPOSE. The study aimed to get to know opinions of pharmacy staff and owners on the functioning of the community pharmacy during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS. To collect opinions about functioning of the community pharmacy during the pandemic, we conducted cross-sectional study among pharmacy staff and owners of pharmacies. RESULTS. The study group included 456 respondents mostly associated with independent pharmacies (55.7%), from cities less than 100,000 inhabitants (38.8%). The number of patients as well as filled prescriptions increased during the pandemic. Respondents provided patients with advice on cold (81.6%), sore throat (77.0%) and acherelated complaints (68.6%). Most of participants (64.5%) declared that they informed patients about COVID-19. The safety measures in community pharmacies included: a safety regulations poster during the pandemic (97.1%), handwashing in accordance with recommended guidelines (96.3%) and using protective gloves by the pharmacy staff (89.9%). According to 60.7% of participants, the community pharmacy was properly prepared for the pandemic by the owner, however, respondents from independent pharmacies indicate this more frequently (p=0.0001). CONCLUSIONS. Respondents are aware of the role of community pharmacies in the healthcare system during the pandemic, nevertheless, more attention needs to be paid by public authorities and governmental institutions to patient safety in the community pharmacy.


2010 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 187-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Vierhaus ◽  
Arnold Lohaus ◽  
Indra Shah

This investigation focuses on the question whether assessments of the development of internalizing behavior from childhood to adolescence are affected by the kind of research design (longitudinal versus cross-sectional). Two longitudinal samples of 432 second-graders and 366 fourth graders participated in a longitudinal study with subsequent measurements taken 1, 2, and 3 years later. A third sample consisting of 849 children covering the same range of grades participated in a cross-sectional study. The results show that the development of internalizing symptoms in girls – but not in boys – varies systematically with the research design. In girls, there is a decrease of internalizing symptoms (especially between the first two timepoints) in the longitudinal assessment, which may reflect, for example, the influence of strain during the first testing situation. Both longitudinal trajectories converge to a common trajectory from grade 2 to grade 7 when controlling for this “novelty-distress effect.” Moreover, when we control this effect, the slight but significant decrease characterizing the common trajectory becomes similar to the one obtained in the cross-sectional study. Therefore, trajectories based on longitudinal assessments may suggest more changes with regard to internalizing symptoms over time than actually take place, while trajectories based on cross-sectional data may be characterized by an increased level of internalizing symptoms. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed.


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