ABSTRACT
Objectives: Data showed that during the SOVID-19 pandemic the pharmacy is the first place for patient care. The purpose was to study the awareness of pharmacists about the COVID-19 for 2021-2022 in Ukraine to provide complete and quality care. Method(s): Survey was developed to determine the level of knowledge of pharmacists regarding the main symptoms, methods of diagnosis, treatment and prevention of uncomplicated forms of the COVID-19 by using Google form. The heads of pharmacies, pharmacists in eight regions of Ukraine were involved. The research period was December 2021 - December 2022. Result(s): We received, 725 completed questionnaires from 8 regions of Ukraine, of which 69.7% were pharmacy managers, 12.0% were pharmacists, and 18.3% were intern- pharmacists. Of the surveyed pharmacists, 95% called the method of airborne transmission, but 4.7% believe that the coronavirus is transmitted by the contact-household method, and 0.3% - transmissible. We found that 100% of respondents correctly named the main indicators of the condition of a patient with the COVID-19. However, only 95.4% of pharmacists correctly defined the concept of saturation, which requires improvement of information support. For the symptomatic treatment of uncomplicated forms, 91.7% of respondents correctly determined that Paracetamol, Ibuprofen are for the symptomatic treatment of uncomplicated forms, but 8.3% of pharmacists named other drugs. Assessing the need to take antibiotics, 88.5% of pharmacists gave the correct answer, but 5.5% believe that the reason for prescribing antibiotics is an increase in body temperature, and 5.4% named a decrease in saturation, 0.6% - dry a cough, that does not meet the requirements of thee national guideleines Covid-19. Conclusion(s): We found that pharmacists are 100% well-informed with the symptoms and causes of the Covid-19. However, it is necessary to improve the provision of information about the requirements for the treatment of uncomplicated forms of Covid-19 and the dispensing of antibiotics from pharmacies.Copyright © 2023
ABSTRACT
Objectives: European studies showed, up to 70% of patients with COVID-19 received antibiotics. In Ukraine, due to the Order of MoH of Ukraine dated 31.12.2020 3094 there is a requirement that antibiotics are contraindicated, they can prescribe only in the presence of laboratory-confirmed bacterial infection or with reasonable suspicion. The study aim was to assess current trends in the consumption of antibiotics in pharmacies during COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A survey "Assessment of the antibiotic consumption and need for e-prescriptions during the COVID-19 pandemic" was developed. The survey was conducted during postgraduate education using the Google platform. We send 225 and received 205 completed surveys from pharmacists, who have from 5 up 40 work experience years (directors, managers of pharmacies, general pharmacists) from 5 regions of Ukraine. Results: We found that the consumption of antibacterial medicines in 2020, compared to 2019, increased by 50,5%. There were such antibiotics in the greatest consumption: beta-lactames 66.1%;respiratory fluoroquinolones 19.2%;macrolides 14.7% for outpatientsfrom public pharmacies. The analysis showed the most often consumed antibiotics were: azithromycin (65.4%), cefoperazone;(47.6%), cefipim (42.3%), piperacillin sodium, tazobactam sodium (27.5%), meropenem (15.2%). We found that 79.1% of pharmacists consider necessary to more strictly monitoring of the antibiotic prescribing by family doctors. There are 97.5% of pharmacists consider it necessary to release e-prescriptions,reimbursement of antibiotics. Conclusions: A Pharmacist Protocol for the symptomatic treatment of uncomplicated forms of COVID -19 has not yet been introduced in Ukraine, but 83.1% o of pharmacists considered that this protocol is necessary for good pharmacy practice in pandemic. There is prospective to implement e-prescriptions of antibiotics from pharmacies and reimbursement during a COVID-19 pandemic. Pharmacists indicated that patients often take antibiotics without a prescription, which can lead to develop of antibiotic resistance and an increase in the treatment cost in future.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: According to the WHO, 82% of patients with COVID-19 are treated by a family doctors and receive pharmaceutical care at the nearest pharmacies, it can lead to unwanted contacts between infected and healthy people, as well as contact with a pharmacist when dispensing drugs. Compliance with quarantine measures in accordance with the Resolutions of the Cabinet of Ministers and Orders of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine in pharmacies is an important component of overall safety during a pandemic, and the awareness of pharmacists in preventing the COVID-19 pandemic is important. The aim was to conduct an expert evaluation of the effectiveness of quarantine measures due to the orders of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine in pharmacies. Methods: According to a specially developed survey "Assessment of the effectiveness of quarantine measures in the pharmacy at COVID-19" pharmacists were interviewed during March-October 2020. The sample of 586 experts included pharmacists, heads of pharmacies from 6 regions of Ukraine. Results: It was found that in 97.5% of pharmacies quarantine measures were implemented in March, in 2.5% pharmacies were in April 2020. The data of the pharmacists' survey show that the most effective quarantine measures are: wearing a protective mask (99.0%), washing hands and using disinfectants (97.0%), maintaining a social distance between visitors and pharmacy staff, as well as visitors to each other 1.5 m (94.5%), washing of pharmacy surfaces and floors with disinfectant solutions (91.0%), ventilation of pharmacy rooms (89.5%). Conclusions: It established that 100% of pharmacists consider it necessary and prospective the approval by Ministry of Health of Ukraine a separate "Protocol of the pharmacist for the release of medicines and medical devices for the treatment of uncomplicated forms of coronavirus infection COVID-19" to optimize pharmaceutical care during the COVID-19 pandemic.