RESUMEN
The benefits of self-medication are undeniable and include a decrease in the number of medical visits. In this work, among other objectives, it sought to describe the knowledge of a group of community pharmacists about minor illness and self-medication. This study was quantitative and qualitative, and took place between June and August 2012 in two groups of chain community pharmacies. All community pharmacists were interviewed faceto- face. Thirty-five community pharmacist completed the interview. Eighty-eight percent of the respondents were women and were aged above 25 years. A total of 88.8% said that they knew the definition of minor illness. Pharmacists that having studied management of minor illness as an undergraduate from private universities had more exposure to minor illness manager subject (p = 0.0043). Regarding the definition of minor illness, pharmacists cited specific parameters, such as duration of disease, and treatment or possible pharmacist intervention for symptoms, which showed a way to distinguish a minor symptom from a chronic disease. Pharmacists included detailed comments on particular aspects of the self-medication practice or highlighted medicine-specific characteristics. Findings indicated that community pharmacists have poor knowledge about minor illness that could explain the passive attitudes towards self-medication.
RESUMEN
This article presents a review, based on a qualitative study, of pharmaceutical orientation in the management of minor illness. Action research methodology was used by a group of faculty members responsible for the community pharmacy internship and by postgraduates in clinical pharmacy, to carry out the study with the objective to present a standard service for this kind of procedure. The interaction with the individual starts with a welcoming reception, at which point the pharmacist should be receptive and show empathy. Subsequently, data from the history of the patient are collected to obtain relevant information. Based on this information, the pharmacist must develop a line of clinical reasoning and make a decision, taking the context of the patient into account. After this analysis, the most appropriate intervention is performed. This intervention could indicate the need for referral to another health professional, the use of a non-pharmacological therapy or the provision of sound advice on medicines available without prescription. The next step is monitoring the patient in order to identify the effectiveness and safety of treatment. The standardization process of pharmaceutical attendance in the management of minor disorders contributes to the rational use of medicines.
A reflexão apresentada neste artigo representa um estudo de abordagem qualitativa baseada na pesquisa-ação da prática do atendimento farmacêutico no manejo de transtornos menores, realizada pelo grupo de professores do Estágio em Farmácia Comunitária e por farmacêuticos pós-graduados em Farmácia Clínica, com o objetivo de realizar uma proposta de atendimento padrão para este tipo de procedimento. A interação com o indivíduo é iniciada pelo acolhimento, momento no qual o farmacêutico deve ser receptivo e empático. A seguir, se executa a coleta de dados sobre a história do paciente, para obtenção de informações relevantes. Com base nas informações, o farmacêutico deve desenvolver um raciocínio clínico e tomar uma decisão, levando em consideração o contexto do paciente. Após esta análise é realizada a intervenção mais adequada ou o conjunto dessas que podem ser: procurar outro profissional de saúde, utilizar uma terapia não-farmacológica ou auxiliar na escolha de um medicamento de venda livre. O próximo passo é o acompanhamento do paciente com vistas a identificar a efetividade e segurança do tratamento. A padronização do processo de atendimento farmacêutico no manejo de transtornos menores, contribui para o uso racional de medicamentos.
Asunto(s)
Automedicación/normas , Servicios Farmacéuticos , Atención Primaria de Salud , Orientación , FarmaciasRESUMEN
Objetivo Analizar las evidencias de validez y fiabilidad de un cuestionario de satisfacción de pacientes con el servicio de indicación en las farmacias comunitarias argentinas. Material y Métodos Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal. Participaron todos los pacientes o sus cuidadores que concurrieron a las farmacias durante el período de estudio (marzo y abril de 2006) y que supieran leer y escribir. Resultados Se obtuvieron 289 cuestionarios. El análisis factorial reveló un único componente explicando el 52,2 por ciento de la varianza total. Se obtuvo un coeficiente alfa de Cronbach de 0,89. Los pacientes expresaron comentarios adicionales en 87 cuestionarios (30,1 por ciento) que se relacionaron con la calidad de la atención recibida y con otros aspectos de la asistencia. Discusión El cuestionario mostró evidencias de validez de contenido, validez como estructura interna y fiabilidad para valorar la satisfacción de pacientes con el servicio de indicación en las farmacias comunitarias argentinas.
Objective Analysing the evidence regarding the validity and reliability of a patient-satisfaction questionnaire about professional advice received for minor illness in Argentinean community pharmacies. Methods This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study. All patients or their caregivers who visited the pharmacies during the study period (March and April, 2006) and knew how to read and write were included. Results 289 questionnaires were completed. Factorial analysis revealed one single component explaining 52.2 percent of total variance. A 0.89 Cronbach's alpha coefficient was obtained. Patients made additional comments on 87 questionnaires (30.1 percent) concerning the quality of care received and other aspects. Discussion By presenting evidence of content validity, validity as internal structure and reliability the questionnaire could assess patient-satisfaction with the advice received for minor illness in Argentinean community pharmacies.