ABSTRACT
Objective: Pharmaceutical care is a health science discipline in which pharmacists deliver patient care that improves medication therapy and helps health, wellness and disease prevention. An important issue in this area emphases on patient oriented rather than drug product-oriented service. The aim of this study to evaluate the attitudes and perceptions of health care professionals towards Pharmaceutical care services in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Methods: A 4-months cross-sectional survey of healthcare professionals was conducted in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The survey consisted of two-part demographic information and second part forty-nine questions divided into four domains. It included domain one: It included domain one: Primary or essential information about healthcare providers pharmacists, domain two: healthcare professionals information about the ambulatory care pharmacy, domain three: healthcare professionals information about pharmacist’s relationship and counseling and domain four: Healthcare providers perception of Pharmaceutical care services. All type of healthcare professionals included in the study. A 5-point Likert-type scale was used. There were open and closed-ended questions. The survey was distributed through social media by using what’s App to more than one thousand healthcare professionals overall Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The survey was made in an electronic format and it analyzed domain two: healthcare professional’s information about Pharmaceutical care services through survey monkey system. Results: The total responders were 170 healthcare providers. Of those 150 (93.8%) were Saudi and 10 (6.25%) were non-Saudi. The gender distribution 129 (75.9%) were females and 41 (24.1%) were males. The most of the healthcare professionals were pharmacists 81 (47.65%), followed by nurses 27 (15.88%) and physicians 23 (13.53%). The majority of patient had visited a pharmacy more than 10 times in the past 12-months was 53 (31.36%), while 40 (23.67%) of respondents visited a pharmacy more than 5 to 9 times. The most common performances of pharmaceutical care services were dispensing of prescribed medication 119 (73.91%), medication consultation 89 (55.28%), dispensing of over the counter medications 88 (54.66%) and dispensing of non-medications supplements 74 (45.96%). The highest scores of pharmaceutical care services provides to the patients were at private’s hospitals (3.45) and non-MOH governmental hospitals (3.40). The most current experience of perception and challenges with high propriety scores were few pharmacist and clinical pharmacists, un-available of patient medication counseling privacy and Unclear handwriting prescription. The most Future Perception suggestion with high Propriety and Opportunity scores were Increase awareness of pharmacist role in public health and Implement patient counseling clinic operated by the pharmacy. Conclusion: Healthcare professional’s insight is the dynamic tool to develop pharmacy services. Increase the number of the clinical pharmacist, expand the awareness of pharmacist to the public and implement patient counseling clinic, will change the future vision of pharmacy career in Saudi Arabia.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: To explore the healthcare professional’s perception and attitude toward pharmacist during pharmacy visit in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This is a 4-month cross-sectional survey of the healthcare professional’s perception toward pharmacist. The survey consisted of two parts: the first part collects demographic information and the second part has 49 questions divided into four domains: (1) the first domain captures information regarding healthcare professionals’ general perception of the pharmacist; (2) the second domain is regarding healthcare professionals’ perception of pharmaceutical care services; (3) the third domain is about healthcare professionals’ perception of visiting ambulatory care pharmacy; and (4) the fourth domain is regarding healthcare professionals perception of pharmacist’s relationship and counseling skills. All type of healthcare professionals included in the study. We used the 5-point Likert response scale system to obtain responses of the participants. There were open- and close-ended questions. The survey was distributed through social media, namely, WhatsApp to more than one thousand healthcare professionals throughout the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The survey was distributed in an electronic format and this study analyzes and presents data regarding domain three, that is, healthcare professionals’ perception of visiting ambulatory care pharmacy through the Survey Monkey system. Results: A total of 170 healthcare professionals responded to the survey. Of them, 150 (93.8%) were Saudi and 10 (6.25%) were non-Saudi professionals. There were 129 (75.9%) female and 41 (24.1%) male responders. Most of the healthcare providers were pharmacists (81 (47.65%)), others (33 (19.41%)), nurses (27 (15.88%)) and physician (23 (13.53%)). Most of the healthcare professional visited the pharmacy in the past 12 months (53 (31.36%)) for more than 10 times, whereas the others 40 (23.67%) visited at least 5–9 times. Most of the patients (143 (87.2%)) spent less than 16 min waiting for the medication from the pharmacy. The average score of healthcare professional’s general perception toward a pharmacist during pharmacy visit was 3.51. The statement “received all medications prescribed to me” received the highest score (4.05), whereas the statement “pharmacy’s waiting area is located at the convenient place” received the lowest score (3.07). The average score of healthcare professional’s perception toward a drug monitoring pharmacist during the pharmacy visit was 2.58. The statement with the highest score was “the patient revived a copy of prescription contained medications” (2.99), whereas the statement with the lowest score was “the pharmacist gives follow-up call to the patient as prescribed” (1.86). The score for general evaluation of pharmacy visit was (3.31) with preference to visit the pharmacy or recommend it to patient’s bothers or friends was (3.26). Conclusion: The healthcare professional’s perception of a pharmacist during the pharmacy visit was good. Pharmacy’s waiting area, medications reconciliation and adherences missed. Improving of healthcare providers’ needs will augment healthcare professional’s perceptions and raise healthcare provider’s satisfaction during pharmacy visit.