Management of skin diseases among community pharmacists in Lagos, Nigeria

ABSTRACT

amongst others. Pharmacists play an important role in identifying and managing skin problems, especially in Nigeria and other developing countries with few dermatologists found mainly in tertiary centres. This study aimed to evaluate and document community pharmacists' role in managing skin diseases in Lagos, Nigeria.Methods: Questionnaires were administered to 140 community pharmacists (70 each in Lagos Island and Lagos Mainland chosen from the zonal list of community pharmacists obtained from Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN) Lagos State Branch. Data generated were collated and analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package of Social Sciences) version 20.0. The results were presented as frequency tables and charts.Results: One hundred and twenty (120; 85.7%) questionnaires were returned for analysis. The results revealed that community pharmacists mainly treat patients with dermatological complaints with triple combination creams. The study shows that though pharmacists manage many patients with skin problems, their knowledge base is poor and treatment sub-optimal. The survey also shows that the most common skin problems encountered by community pharmacies are acne, bacterial infections and eczema.Conclusion: It can be concluded from this study that pharmacists need to undergo training in management of skin diseases to help the many patients that approach them. It is recommended that community pharmacists undergo appropriate training programmes to improve their output