scholarly journals Team Communication on Tasks Performed in Blood Pressure Clinics in Community Pharmacies

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-15
Author(s):  
Shih-Ying H. Hsu ◽  
Monica J. Hwang ◽  
Jeanine K. Mount

Background: To successfully deliver pharmacy services, pharmacists and technicians need to work as a team and have effective communication. Objectives: To measure the amount of communication between community pharmacists and their technicians during monthly blood pressure (BP) clinics. Methods: Cross-sectional survey method was used to assess the amount of communication pharmacists and technicians had on each task. Study participants were pharmacist-technician pairs (teams) from 10 intervention community pharmacies in the Team Education and Adherence Monitoring (TEAM) trial. Each team provided services designed to improve BP among hypertensive African American patients. Thirteen specific tasks were identified as essential in providing monthly BP clinics, and they were being performed by either the pharmacist or technician. At the end of the trial, each pharmacist and technician were asked to report his/her perception of discussion levels that occurred for each task. The level of team communication was summarized for each task (task-specific) and for each team (team-specific). Results: For task-specific communication, 3 teams had communication regarding pharmacist tasks and 5 teams engaged in communication for technician tasks. More communication was reported for newly developed technician tasks in the BP clinic. For team-specific communication, 2 teams reported no communication on any task, and another 2 teams reported having communication on all the tasks. Overall, pharmacy teams showed different levels of communication in this study. Conclusion: The amounts of communication between pharmacists and technicians were found to vary for different tasks and teams. This suggests that the nature of tasks and the unique dynamics existing in each pharmacy team could influence pharmacist-technician communication.

Author(s):  
Ekpedeme Ndem ◽  
Edidiong Orok ◽  
Felix Bassey

Background: Pharmaceutical care is an important aspect of healthcare provided by pharmacists which is associated with good clinical outcomes and improved quality of life. Robberies and insecurities is a common occurrence in community pharmacies and when left unchecked can have economic, financial consequences and also influence the provision of care. The aim of this study was to assess the perceived effect of insecurity on the provision of pharmaceutical care in community pharmacies in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. Methods: This study was a cross sectional survey among community pharmacists in community pharmacies in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State. All community pharmacies in Uyo metropolis were visited and an informed consent was obtained from the pharmacists before the beginning of the study. A semistructured questionnaire was used in the collection of data in this study. The questionnaire evaluated the perceived effect of the current robberies on pharmaceutical care where the evaluation statements were structured in Likert scale format. Results: A total of 76 pharmacists consented to participate in the study where 56 (73.7%) were males and 20 were females. The mean age of the study participants was 28.25±1.543 years and 82.9% of the participants had 1-10 years’ community pharmacy experience. Majority of the pharmacists agreed that insecurity has hindered history taking (52%), blood pressure checks (84.2%), patient counselling (80.2%) and decreased sales (52.6%). Conclusion: There is a negative perceived effect of recent insecurities on the provision of pharmaceutical care services and sales. This aspect should be explored in further studies and research.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 154
Author(s):  
Sisira Donsamak ◽  
Marjorie C. Weiss ◽  
Dai N. John

In Thailand, antibiotics are available lawfully from community pharmacies without a prescription. Inappropriate supply of antibiotics from Thai community pharmacies to the public for common, self-limiting diseases has been reported. The study aimed to evaluate the appropriateness of antibiotics selected by community pharmacists in Thailand in response to vignettes. A cross-sectional survey of community pharmacists across Thailand was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire including nine case vignettes with three conditions, namely upper respiratory infections (URIs), acute diarrhoea and simple wounds. A total of 208 questionnaires were completed and analysed (20.8% response rate). In response to vignettes relating to URIs, 50.8% of pharmacist recommendations were not in accordance with antibiotic guidelines. Inappropriate recommendations for diarrhoea and wound cases were 20.8% and 16.7%, respectively. A higher proportion of younger pharmacists, those with less experience, Pharm. D. graduate pharmacists, employee pharmacists and those pharmacists who worked in a chain pharmacy were more likely to recommend appropriate antibiotic treatment in response to the vignettes (p < 0.05). These findings will be useful to promote educational interventions for community pharmacists regarding common infectious disease management in order to improve appropriate antibiotic use.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 1281
Author(s):  
Sultan M. Alshahrani ◽  
Khalid Orayj ◽  
Ali M. Alqahtani ◽  
Mubarak A. Algahtany

Pregabalin is a first-line therapy for neuropathic pain and for chronic pain. It has abuse potential. This study was conducted to assess community pharmacists’ perceptions towards pregabalin abuse and misuse in the Aseer region, Saudi Arabia, and identify predictors and associated factors. A cross-sectional survey using a structured questionnaire following a self-administrative study was conducted across community pharmacies in the Aseer region (Abha, Khamis Mushait, Mahayel, Sarat Abeeda, Ahad-Rufaida, and Bishah). A total of 206 respondents from community pharmacists participated in the study. Over the last six months, 136 respondents (66.0%) suspected pregabalin abuse in community pharmacies; male dominance in pregabalin abusers was also recorded (n = 165, 80.1%). Additionally, 40 (19.4%) respondents stated that a prescription was not issued for pregabalin demands. Over half (61.7%) of community pharmacists recorded an increased change in pregabalin abuse compared to the previous year. This is the first study to explore pharmacists’ perceptions in the community of the Aseer region towards customers’ misuse and abuse of pregabalin. Further monitoring and regulations on the prescribing and procurement of pregabalin are needed to avoid abuse.


2013 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Feroza Amien ◽  
Neil G. Myburgh ◽  
Nadine Butler

Community pharmacists are approached regularly for oral health advice; most commonly for ulcers which could be indicative of oral cancer, HIV, and various systemic diseases. Community pharmacists should know how to manage these conditions yet they have very limited training to manage these conditions appropriately. The area location and socioeconomic status (SES) of the pharmacy should be considered as it may influence patient management. A study of this nature has not yet been conducted in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. To determine the prevalence and frequency of oral complaints at community pharmacies and if these parameters differ by metropolitan location and SES. A cross-sectional survey of 162 randomly-selected private sector pharmacies was conducted. The sample (n = 121) was stratified by SES and metropolitan location. An open-ended structured questionnaire was faxed to pharmacists. A telephonic interview was conducted a day later. Community pharmacists were asked about the frequency and type of oral health problems they encountered. Most pharmacists (91%) dealt with oral health problems frequently, most commonly for ulcers (55.8%), thrush (49.2%), and toothache (33.3%). The results did not differ by metropolitan location and SES (Chi-squared, Fisher’s Exact, p > 0.05), with the exception of toothache and mouth sores. Community pharmacists are an important part of an interdisciplinary team, and play a definite role in the early detection of oral health conditions, namely, caries, HIV and oral cancer. Training on common oral health conditions should be included in undergraduate pharmacy curricula and continuous professional development courses.Gemeenskapsaptekers word gereeld genader vir advies rakende mondgesondheid, hoofsaaklik mondsere wat ’n aanduiding kan wees van mondkanker, MIV en verskeie sistemiese siektes. Gemeenskapsaptekers moet weet hoe om hierdie kwessies te hanteer. Die ligging van die area en die sosio-ekonomiese status (SES) van die apteek moet in ag geneem word aangesien dit ’n invloed mag hê op die hantering van die pasiënt. ’n Studie van hierdie aard is nog nie in die Wes-Kaap Provinsie van Suid-Afrika onderneem nie. Die doel van hierdie studie is om die voorkoms en herhaling van klagtes oor mondsiektes by gemeenskapsapteke te bepaal en of hierdie parameters verskil na gelang van metropolitaanse ligging en SES. ’n Deursnee-opname van 162 ewekansig geselekteerde privaat sektor-apteke is onderneem. Die steekproef (n = 121) is gestratifiseer ten opsigte van SES en metropolitaanse ligging. ’n Oopeinde gestruktureerde vraelys is aan apteke gefaks. ’n Telefoniese onderhoud is ’n dag later gevoer. Gemeenskapsaptekers is gevra na die herhaling van en die tipe mondgesondheidsprobleme wat hulle teëgekom het. Die meeste aptekers (91%) het dikwels met mondprobleme te doen gekry, meestal mondsere (55.8%), mondsproei (49.2%) en tandpyn (33.3%). Die bevindinge het nie verskil na gelang van metropolitaanse ligging en SES (Chi-kwadraat, Fisher se eksakte toets, p > 0.05) nie, met die uitsondering van tandpyn en mondsere. Gemeenskapsaptekers vorm ’n belangrike deel van ’n interdissiplinêre span, en speel ’n definitiewe rol in die vroeë opsporing van mondgesondheidstoestande, naamlik tandverrotting, MIV en mondkanker. Opleiding in algemene mondgesondheidstoestande behoort deel te vorm van voorgraadse aptekerskurrikulums en voortgesette professionele ontwikkelingskursusse.


2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Inas R. Ibrahim ◽  
Haydar F. Al Tukmagi ◽  
Abdulrasoul Wayyes

Objectives: The main aims of this study were to assess society's use of community pharmacies; evaluate attitudes towards the role of the community pharmacist; and describe required pharmacist characteristics and future services. Study design: A cross-sectional survey with a stratified sampling technique. Methods: A self-administered, validated, questionnaire was distributed to 500 consumers in attendance at 50 community pharmacies in Baghdad, Iraq. Data were gathered from January to April 2012. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were performed to test for statistical differences among the study variables. Further analysis through the Chi-square test and logistic regression was completed to assess the predictors of society's attitudes. Results: Twenty-six percent of respondents visited their community pharmacies at least once per week and an additional 65% reported visiting their pharmacy at least once per month. Fifty-five percent of respondents listed the community pharmacist as the first person they would contact in case of any drug-related problem. However, the pharmacist's role was under-appreciated by the majority of respondents (79.8%). These attitudes varied significantly with regard to the demographic characteristics of respondents. Logistic regression analysis showed that gender and age were the influential predictors of favourable versus non-favourable attitudes towards the role of pharmacist. Conclusions: The use of community pharmacies in Iraq was characterized by frequent visits to purchase medicines. Selection of the pharmacy primarily depended on its location. Overall, an under-appreciation of the professional performance of pharmacists was predominant. Raising public awareness towards the important role of community pharmacists in providing public health is warranted.   Type: Original Research


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-190
Author(s):  
K. J. Awogbemi ◽  
R. T. Olaniyi ◽  
W. O. Erhun

Background: The use of computers has had impact in all professions including pharmacy. Computers have found lots of application in the management of inventories, electronic prescribing and counting machines for tablets and capsules.Objective: This research was designed to identify the types of technology devices and programs in use by community pharmacies, capabilities of software in use, as well as to identify the challenges faced by community pharmacists in the use of computerized systems in their premises.Method: A cross-sectional survey of 217 community pharmacies in 6 Southwestern Nigerian states was done using a set of questionnaires. Data gathered was subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS version 17.Results: Some community pharmacies in Southwestern Nigeria used inventory management software (47.0%). The reported capabilities of the software packages in use included sales processing (99.0%), account processing (88.2%) and POS link (62.7%). The reasons why some community pharmacies have not computerized their outlets were erratic power supply (56.2%), high cost of the devices (48.4%) and low turnover (35.9%). The major challenges faced by community pharmacists in the use of computer devices in their premises included erratic power supply (90.2%) and high cost of fuel (83.3%).Conclusion: The level of computerization of community pharmacies in Southwestern Nigeria was observed to be generally low. Erratic power supply and cost of device were major challenges to the computerization of community pharmacies in Southwestern Nigeria. Keywords: Community Pharmacy, Software, Computerization


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adina Turcu-Stiolica ◽  
Maria Kamusheva ◽  
Maria Bogdan ◽  
Ivana Tadic ◽  
Klejda Harasani ◽  
...  

Community pharmacists expanded their roles and engaged in vaccination services in many countries around the world, but not in Balkan countries. This research aimed to assess the perceptions of pharmacists on involvement in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine administration in four Balkan countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia). A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire that was distributed to community pharmacists across these countries between February and March 2021. A total of 636 community pharmacists were included in the analysis of the survey. The willingness to administer vaccines for COVID-19 (or other vaccines well established in the practice, like a flu vaccine) in community pharmacies is significantly different among the countries: the pharmacists from Albania were more willing to administer vaccines. The factors associated with the eagerness to vaccinate are almost the same among the countries: the lack of training in the faculty classes and the lack of a special place where to administer vaccines. Additional significant factors were found in Bulgaria (pharmacists from independent pharmacies wanted more than the pharmacists working in chain pharmacies to administer vaccines) and in Serbia (male pharmacists agreed more with administering vaccines than female pharmacists). Further national reforms are needed for adopting the expanding role of community pharmacists.


2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 686-691
Author(s):  
Khanda Hamasalih ◽  
Walid Nitham

Background and objective: Community pharmacists play an important role in the best use of drugs and in improving patient outcomes. Evidence demonstrates that pharmacists' counseling improves the quality of life, clinical outcomes, and drug and disease knowledge and reduces the utilization of health services. This study aimed to investigate the nature and extent of counseling practices of community pharmacists in community pharmacies in Sulaimani region of Kurdistan, Iraq. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in community pharmacies in Sulaimani city, in a one-month duration from November to December 2020. The sample size was 100 community pharmacies, which were selected randomly. The data were stored and analyzed using Excel 2016 and expressed as frequencies and percentages. Results: According to the completed questionnaires, about 78.8% of pharmacists would do counseling spontaneously each time they dispense any drug. Only 61% of the pharmacists would ask the patients if they understood what was said during their communication to assess the understanding of advice given to their patients. The most common barrier observed during patient counseling was the patient's lack of time. Conclusion: This study indicates that community pharmacists counsel the patients in an appropriate way. They provide information orally and in written form. However, further research is needed to evaluate the quality of patient counseling by using different methods like pseudo-patient methodology to gain real counseling data. Keywords: Counselling; Community pharmacist; Community pharmacy; Counselling barriers.


Author(s):  
CHRISTIAN AMOAH ◽  
SOMHLABA NCEBA ZANGODUMO ◽  
FRIMPONG-MANSO ADDO ◽  
EBENEZER OTU AYEBOAFO ANSAH ◽  
BENJAMIN AMOAH

Breast self-Examination (BSE) is the cheapest most recommended Breast Cancer (BC) preventive tool for resource-deprived settings. There is paucity in the attitude research domain and comparative gender assessments of the BSE knowledge, attitude and performance (KAP) literature. The purpose of this study was to assess the combined and exclusive gender BSE attitude of undergraduate health trainees and to determine significant differences between scores of both genders.The study used an online cross-sectional survey method. 336 health undergraduate students of the College of Health Sciences (CoHS) of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) were purosively sampled for assessment of their BSE knowledge, attitude and performarmance (KAP). The study found that compared to the construction groups’ average norm of 101.17 (SD = 9.55), our study participants’ (SPs) BSE attitude was lower (92.51; SD = 11.80). However, using popular mid-point and 3- part attitude scoring methods, our SPs’ attitude scores were comparable to sub-regional and national findings. Moreover,the male participants scored a generally high BSE attitude but significantly lower compared to their female counterparts (p < 0.5). The study recommend the need to adjust the curricula of all health trainees in developing nations such as Ghana to reflect relevant BC preventive measures. Furthermore, BSE research, education and advocacy should involve more males as important BC BSE stake holders.


2021 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 538-550
Author(s):  
Yejide O Oseni ◽  
Wilson O Erhun

The World Health Organization is promoting community-based services to end HIV/AIDS by 2030. In Nigeria, studies on community pharmacists’ involvement in HIV testing services (HTS) and antiretroviral (ARV) medication therapy management (MTM) are scarce, and no study had evaluated the clients’ opinion on community pharmacy HTS. We assessed the community pharmacists’ involvement in HIV/AIDS services and clients’ opinions of community pharmacy HTS. Semi-structured questionnaires on a five-point Likert scale were administered to 701 selected community pharmacists and 5840 clients in southwest Nigeria in 2019. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics. Response rates were 68.6% and 69.8% for community pharmacists and clients, respectively. Only 18.5% of community pharmacists offered rapid HTS and 30% refills of ARV. The total score of their involvement on the HTS was 20.94 ± 17.521 (range 8–40; midpoint 24) and on ARV/MTM was 22.98 ± 19.61 (range 9–45; midpoint 27), while 91% were willing to participate in training. Barriers to integrating services into practice were lack of clinical tools (46.8%), lack of collaboration with other healthcare professionals (39.1%), and lack of training on HIV/AIDS services (36.2%) among others. Also, 77% of the clients were willing to participate in community pharmacy HTS, and about 83% of them responded that knowing their HIV status will help them to take necessary precautionary actions. Community pharmacists’ involvement in HIV/AIDS services was low. However, they showed willingness to participate in training to improve services. Also, clients were willing to receive community pharmacies HTS to know their status.


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