ABSTRACT
Objectives: To explore the pharmacokinetic services at the Ministry of Health (MOH) hospitals in Saudi Arabia with an emphasis on perceptions and barriers of service implementation. Methods: This is a 2-month cross-sectional national survey of pharmacokinetic services with a focus on pharmacy management and resources at MOH hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The study consisted of two parts: the first part collected demographic information and the second part consisted of 43 questions divided into three domains. The questions were derived from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) guidelines and from the literature. We used 5-point Likert response scale system with close-ended questions to obtain responses. An electronic questionnaire was distributed to the coordinators of the clinical pharmacy services or drug information centers at MOH hospitals and it analyzed the perceptions and barriers of pharmacokinetic service implementations section through the Survey Monkey system. Results: A total of 43 hospital pharmacies responded to the questionnaire, with the response rate of 86%. The majority of pharmacokinetic services were provided to the adult patients (37 (86.05%)) followed by the pediatric and geriatric patients (19 (44.19%) and 13 (30.23%), respectively) with most of the responding hospitals having less than 20 beds (23 (53.5%)). The categories with most of the barriers of pharmacokinetic service implementation were lack of knowledge (20 (64.52%)), lack of pharmacokinetic education (16 (51.61%)) and lack of an expert pharmacist in pharmacokinetic services (16 (51.61%)). Most of the responders agreed that clinical pharmacokinetic services were necessary for hospitals (23 (53.5%)). The responders agreed that the clinical pharmacist through pharmacokinetic services had a positive financial impact and cost avoidance on healthcare system (23 (53.5%)). Most of the responders stated that pharmacokinetic services improve the safety and efficacy of patient care (33 (89.2%)). Most of the responders agreed that the pharmacokinetic services improved patients’ clinical outcome (33 (89.2%)) and prevented drug-related problems (33 (89.2%)), whereas few of the pharmacokinetic services were provided only 10 (29.4%) over 24 hr per day. Conclusion: Despite the positive attitude of hospital management toward pharmacokinetic services, there was a lack of education and training regarding the same at MOH hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Revision of strategic planning of pharmacokinetic services with regard to their improvement and implementation are required at all MOH hospitals in Saudi Arabia.
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
Objectives: In this study, we aimed to analyze the cost of network drug information services at the Ministry of Health (MOH) hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Method: In this study, we simulated the 2-month cross-sectional survey data of all drug information centers at the MOH hospitals. Any drug store that has provided services to the healthcare professionals and the public participated in the questionnaire. National, regional and local drug information centers in the healthcare institutions participated in this survey. All type of hospitals or primary care centers (e.g. public, pediatric, maternity and psychiatry) were included in this study. The survey consisted of two parts: the first part collects demographics data and the second part analyzes the cost of activities of drug information centers. The clinical activities were derived from the model of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP). The type cost consisted of related central drug information activities, the cost of the patient-centered drug information activity and the cost of Administrative drug information activities. All cost used US dollar currency. Results: The survey was distributed to 60 drug information centers and a total of 46 centers responded to the survey; the response rate was 76.66%. Most of the hospitals (11 (23.9%)) had 100–199 beds and the others (11 (23.9%)) had 200–299 beds. The total daily cost of drug information activities was 6,002.18 USD. The highest cost of drug information activities was central drug information activities (2,654.69 USD (44.23%)) followed by the administration of drug information activities (2,280.59 USD (37.99%)) and patient-specific drug information activities (1,066.9 USD (17.77%)). The highest daily cost of drug information activities among central drug information center was responding to drug information inquiries ((536.24 USD)) followed by the residential training ((9274.46 USD)) and pharmacist’s training ((263.14 USD)). Conclusion: The central activities of drug information centers costed the highest. Expanding the services to patient-specific activities will decrease morbidity, mortality and justify cost analysis at MOH hospitals in Saudi Arabia.