scholarly journals Public Perception and Attitude toward Community Pharmacists in Saudi Arabia

Author(s):  
Omar A. Almohammed ◽  
Sary Alsanea

<b><i>Background:</i></b> The Saudi healthcare system is undergoing a major transformation, and pharmacists will assume more responsibilities in providing healthcare services. The current study aims to determine the current perception and attitude of the public toward pharmacists, as well as the public satisfaction with pharmacists’ practices and services in the community pharmacy setting. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> A cross-sectional, online questionnaire-based study was conducted between February and April 2019 and included adult participants (≥18 years) who could read and complete an Arabic online survey. χ<sup>2</sup> and correlation tests were used to investigate differences in perception and attitude toward community pharmacists based on study population demographics and characteristics and assess the association between public perception and attitude. Statistical analysis was conducted using SAS software, version 9.4. <b><i>Results:</i></b> A total of 387 participants completed the survey. The overall Saudi public’s perception and attitude toward community pharmacists were positive in the study population, scoring 81.4% for perception and 69.8% for attitude, with female participants having a more favorable perception of community pharmacists than male participants (89.3 vs. 77.7%, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.01). A strong and positive correlation between public perception and attitude was recognized in the study (<i>r</i> = 0.71, <i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.01). The participants were found to be mostly satisfied with pharmacists’ commitment and communication skills, but not, however, with the level of pharmaceutical care services provided. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The current positive perception and attitude toward community pharmacists among the Saudi public create an opportunity for pharmacists to assume expanded roles as healthcare providers. However, their pharmaceutical care skills should be improved in order to gain their patients’ trust and provide them with valuable services.

2015 ◽  
Vol 117 (2) ◽  
pp. 614-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Rosemary Lane ◽  
Stephanie Margaret Fisher

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the exposure of a student population to celebrity chef television programmes, to assess the influence these figures have, and how they are perceived. Design/methodology/approach – A survey was conducted through an online questionnaire distributed at Bath Spa University. The approach included asking respondents why they watched programmes featuring celebrity chefs; to select a named celebrity chef whom they thought had most influenced their food habits, and to name particular chefs relating to campaign descriptions. Findings – A significant proportion of the study group watched television programmes fronted by celebrity chefs (84 per cent); the main reason for watching was for entertainment. Overall, reported influence was insignificant, though Jamie Oliver was selected as the chef with most influence on the respondent’s food habits. Jamie Oliver’s campaign to improve school dinners was also the most recognised, and celebrity chefs were generally viewed positively. Research limitations/implications – The study population was quite specific in its gender, age and ethnicity, and therefore might not be representative of wider society. Further work could consider gender differences in chef influence, as well as different forms of exposure. Originality/value – Despite their ubiquity, academic research into the role of the celebrity chef in modern society is limited, where very few studies have assessed the influence of named chefs or the public perception of these figures. This paper gives an insight into this under-researched field.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 106
Author(s):  
Edidiong Orok ◽  
Success David ◽  
Chiemezie Ibegwam

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.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anran Wang ◽  
Xiaolei Xiu ◽  
Sizhu Wu

Abstract Background: Understanding public perception and behaviors toward COVID-19 is valuable for mitigating the severe epidemic. Our study aimed to investigate differences of the public from the US, UK, and Brazil on the aspects of the living environment, behaviors, attitude and risk perception. Methods: Dataset were taken from the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Survival Calculator project. 89554 respondents from the US (n=71812), UK (n=10392), and Brazil (n=7350) completed online questionnaire survey from April 28 to July 8. Frequencies and percentages were calculated to describe respondents’ responses. Chi-square tests with Holm-Bonferroni correction and binary logistic regression were used to determine the differences in environmental status, behaviors and worried degree of participants among the three countries, and further explore the sociodemographic characteristics related to protective measures. Results: Brazil participants had the highest risk perception to COVID-19, followed by the US, and the UK was the lowest (39.02±24.57 vs. 32.72±22.38 vs. 29.47+22.39, P<0.001). More Brazil participants expressed that they were worried about COVID-19. The proportion of respondents from the US and UK who reported they were not worried about COVID-19 was 2.00 times (95%CI: 1.80-2.23) and 3.24 times (95%CI: 2.88-3.65) that of Brazil. A higher percentage of Brazil respondents reported they were in close contact with more than ten people, using public transport and engaging in work. Regarding behaviors, social distancing (ranges:84.9%-86.8%) and washing hands (ranges:84.8%-90.3%) were the most frequently used protective measures, but respondents from the US (69.8%) and UK (15.8%) were relatively reluctant to wear masks. Moreover, it was found that participants from ethnic minorities were more likely to take protective measures. But males, respondents under 20 years, and respondents with poor economic conditions had various degrees of neglect to take steps. Meanwhile, healthcare workers also had a relatively stronger awareness of protection. Conclusion: There are significant differences in the environment, behaviors, attitude and risk perception of the public from the US, UK and Brazil. The sociodemographic subgroups analysis indicated that it is necessary to enhance protection publicity and support for specific groups. Our findings are conducive to the public health authorities to carry out more targeted publicity work of COVID-19 protection measures.


e-GIGI ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen M. Mamesah ◽  
Vonny N. S Wowor ◽  
Krista V. Siagian

Abstract: Teeth become one of the important parts of the body,and thereforeone can not be said to be healthy as a whole if the teeth and mouth are in problems. Tooth loss should be handled with the use of dentures because of loss of teeth are not replaced soon will interfere with the mastication, speesh function and aesthetic. However, not all people who have lost their original teeth using the dentures. The decision on a person’s actions are influenced by perception, such as when someone decided to use or not the denture. Perceptions about the use of denture is the stimulus in interpreated by individuals regarding the use of denture and the level of knowledge about the importance of the denture.This research is a descriptive study with cross sectional approach and using questionnaire. This study population is people in the age group 30-50 years in Tompaso and then totaling 2,031 people. Method of sampling in this research is purposivesampling method and sample size in this study was 64 people.The results of this study indicate the public perception of district Tompaso to the purposes and functions of the use of denture quite enough. With a percentage 54,15%.Keywords: Perception, Society, DentureAbstrak: Gigi menjadi salah satu bagian tubuh dengan fungsi yang penting, oleh sebab itu seseorang tidak dapat dikatakakan sehat secara utuh bila gigi dan mulutnya bermasalah. Kehilangan gigi seharusnya ditangani dengan pemakaian gigi tiruan karena hilangannya gigi yang tidak segera diganti akan menimbulkan gangguan terhadap fungsi pengunyahan, fungsi bicara maupun estetik. Akan tetapi saat ini tidak semua orang yang telah kehilangan gigi aslinya menggunakan gigi tiruan.Pengambilan keputusan terhadap tindakan seseorang dipengaruhi oleh persepsi, demikian halnya ketika seseorang memutuskan untuk menggunakan atau tidak gigi tiruan. Persepsi tentang pemakaian gigi tiruan adalah proses stimulus yang diinderakan oleh individu mengenai pemakaian gigi tiruan serta tingkat pengetahuan masyarakat mengenai pentingnya pemakaian gigi tiruan.Penelitian ini merupakan suatu penelitian deskriptif dengan metode pendekatan cross-sectional study dan menggunakan kuesioner. Populasi penelitian ini adalah masyarakat pada kelompok usia 30-50 tahun di Tompaso yang berjumlah 2.031 orang. Metode pengambilan sampel dalam penelitian ini yaitu Purposive Sampling Method, dan jumlah sampel pada penelitian ini adalah 64 orang.Hasil penelitian menunjukan persepsi masyarakat kecamatan Tompaso terhadap tujuan dan fungsi pemakaian gigi tiruan tergolong cukup, dengan persentase 54,15%.Kata kunci : Persepsi, Masyarakat, Gigi tiruan.


BMJ Open ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. e023198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nour Alhusein ◽  
Leah Macaden ◽  
Annetta Smith ◽  
Kathleen M Stoddart ◽  
Andrea J Taylor ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo explore the pharmaceutical care needs of, and service provision to, older people with sensory impairment (visual, hearing and dual impairment) on prescribed polypharmacy (≥4 medicines) in Scotland.DesignInterviews were conducted with older people with sensory impairment and community pharmacy personnel, which informed the content of a subsequent national cross-sectional survey of community pharmacists.SettingScotland, 2015–2016.ParticipantsOlder people with sensory impairment and community pharmacy personnel.ResultsInterviews were completed with 23 older people with sensory impairment (dual impairment n=13, visual or hearing impairment n=5 of each) and 30 community pharmacy personnel from eight of 14 Scottish Health Boards. A total of 171 survey responses were received.Older people reported that they did not always disclose their sensory impairment to pharmacy personnel. They also reported that medicines were difficult to identify particularly when their name, shape or colour changed. Pharmacy personnel relied on visible cues such as white canes or guide dogs to identify visual impairment and suggested that hearing loss was less visible and more difficult to identify. Many assistive aids in support of medicine management, such as dosette boxes, seemed inadequate for complex medication regimens. Few community pharmacy personnel reported receiving training in the care of people with sensory impairment.ConclusionsThis is the first comprehensive, multistakeholder, in-depth exploration of the pharmaceutical care needs of older people with sensory impairment. Strategies are needed to enable people with sensory impairment to disclose their impairment to pharmacy personnel (and other healthcare providers). Community pharmacy personnel require training to deliver person-centred pharmaceutical care for older people with sensory impairment particularly regarding communication with individuals in this vulnerable population.


Author(s):  
Sonja Kallio ◽  
Tiina Eskola ◽  
Marika Pohjanoksa-Mäntylä ◽  
Marja Airaksinen

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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 205521732110296
Author(s):  
Julie Pétrin ◽  
Mary Ann McColl ◽  
Catherine Donnelly ◽  
Simon French ◽  
Marcia Finlayson

Background Canadians with MS are high users of healthcare services, yet they report multiple unmet needs, high disease burden, and low satisfaction with care. Engaging patients in healthcare planning can lead to improvements in access and care. There is currently limited evidence that has harnessed the perspectives of Canadians with MS. Objective To identify and prioritize the healthcare access concerns of Canadians with MS. Methods A cross-sectional online survey informed by the Concerns Report Methodology was used to address the objective. Participants were recruited through multiple methods. Descriptive statistics were used to identify the main barriers to healthcare providers, and concerns report methods were used to calculate needs indexes to prioritize concerns of participants. Results 324 Canadians with MS participated in the study between November 18, 2019 and March 27, 2020. The most pressing healthcare access concerns of Canadians with MS were related to availability of healthcare providers with MS knowledge and affordability of services that aim to improve wellness. Conclusion These findings provide healthcare planners with prioritized access concerns of Canadians with MS, which can be used to guide strategic planning to improve the quality of life of these individuals.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pengyeow Loh ◽  
Siew Siang Chua ◽  
Mahmathi Karuppannan

Abstract Background: Since 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.Methods: A 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.Results: A 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%).Conclusions: The present study found that pharmaceutical care services provided by community pharmacists in Malaysia were inadequate in comparison with 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.


2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 289-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ranim Y. Nasr ◽  
Rashid A. Barnawi ◽  
Osama N. Radi ◽  
Mohammed Wazzan ◽  
Nadia Batawil ◽  
...  

This study assessed the level of public knowledge regarding ionizing radiation, the sources of information available to the public, and the preferred sources of education. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A 15-question survey was distributed to participants who attended a radiation awareness activity held for the public. Participants were asked to rank their confidence regarding ionizing radiation knowledge on a Likert-style scale. They also answered questions on their perception of risks, the source from which they received health information, and their preferred method of education. Only 3% of the 244 participants were “knowledgeable” about ionizing radiation. Nine percent stated they were confident about their ionizing radiation knowledge, and they were more knowledgeable than unconfident individuals (p = 0.041). Age, gender, and education level played no role in ionizing radiation knowledge (p = 0.746, p = 0.245, and p = 0.060, respectively). Among those who had undergone a medical imaging investigation during the past year, only 24% received an explanation of the risks and benefits. Participants overestimated the risk of nuclear plants, as this was selected as the source with the greatest risk to health, followed by medical sources. Most of those who had prior knowledge searched for the information on the internet (34%), however, more participants would prefer to receive education from their healthcare providers (36%).


Author(s):  
Nehad J. Ahmed ◽  
Mohd F. Khan

Background: The use of herbal medicines and natural health products by the public is continuously being increased by the day. Community pharmacists are the most accessible healthcare providers, this necessitates that pharmacists should be aware of the appropriate use of herbal medicines. Objective: The objective of the present study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of community pharmacists in the Al-Kharj region. Methodology: A cross-sectional study was carried out amongst pharmacists who work in different community pharmacies in Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was prepared using surveys of previous studies and was hand-delivered to the pharmacists concerning the use of herbal medicines. Results: All of the respondents were male and more than 50% of them were in the age range between 30-39. Most of the pharmacists reported that they have sufficient information about dietary supplements and that they are interested in updating their knowledge  about herbal drugs. Furthermore, more than 70% of the participants said that they take both medical and medication history from the buyers before supplying herbal medicines. Conclusion: The study shows that pharmacists have good knowledge and a positive attitude toward using herbal medicines by the public in Al-Kharj city.


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