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Introduction:The COVID-19 pandemic has been felt in all areas of health care. We performed a weekly survey amongst the members of the European Society of Oncology Pharmacy (ESOP) to better understand its effects and how they evolved over time. We specifically studied alterations in the care for patients with cancer as well as in the work of oncology pharmacists. Method(s):An online survey was developed by ESOP to compile data about the effects of COVID-19 on the work practices of professionals working in the field of oncology pharmacy. The survey was distributed electronically on a weekly basis from April 6thto June 28th. Result(s):A total of 1146 responses were gathered from respondents in 60 different countries. At any given time point, between 25% and 38% of the respondents had staff infected with COVID-19. In total, 29% of hospital pharmacists reported shortages of drugs necessary for the treatment of COVID-19 patients, and almost 50% also faced shortages of drugs necessary for the treatment of cancer patients. In addition, the majority of hospital pharmacists reported a decrease in planned surgery for oncology patients, as well as a decrease in the amount of chemotherapy preparations. Community pharmacists faced shortages of personal protective equipment in 40% of cases and shortages of drugs in 60%. Conclusion(s):The work of oncology pharmacists both in the clinical setting as well as in the community has been effected profoundly by the COVID-19 pandemic.Copyright © 2021 Lippincott Williams and Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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Background and objective: Biologic therapies are known to reduce exacerbations and improve severe uncontrolled asthma management. The at-home administration of biologics has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the characteristics of severe uncontrolled asthma patients who may benefit from at-home administration of biologic therapy have yet to be identified. Material(s) and Method(s): This project is based on the Delphi method, designed to reach an expert consensus through a multidisciplinary scientific committee addressing the following questions: clinical characteristics, treatment adherence, patient or caregiver administration ability, patient self-care, relationship with the healthcare professional, patient preference, and access to the hospital. Result(s): One hundred and thirty-one healthcare professionals (pulmonologists, allergists, nurses, and hospital pharmacists) completed two Delphi consensus questionnaires. Fourteen items were identified as priority characteristics, the first five being: 1. The patient follows the healthcare team's indications/recommendations to control their disease, 2. The patient is capable of detecting any deterioration in their disease and of identifying exacerbation triggers, 3. The patient receives biologic therapy and has stable disease with no vital risk, 4. The patient takes responsibility for their self-care, 5. The patient has occupational/educational obligations that prevent them from going to the hospital regularly. Conclusion(s): Disease stability and control plus the ability to identify exacerbation triggers are the most important characteristics when opting for at-home administration for a patient with severe uncontrolled asthma on biologic therapy. These recommendations could be applicable in clinical practice.Copyright © 2022
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Doctors are perceived as the primary decision makers in antimicrobial therapy, but prescribing decisions are influenced by the multidisciplinary team. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs formalise interprofessional advice-giving. No studies capture the advice provided by pharmacists. This study aimed to describe the volume and nature of antimicrobial prescribing advice that healthcare professionals seek from hospital pharmacists. A prospective audit of antimicrobial-related advice requests received by pharmacists (n = 18) at an Australian public hospital was undertaken in July 2020. Antimicrobial advice was sought from 11 pharmacists on 300 occasions. Most requests (80%) were received by the AMS pharmacist. A mean (range) of 30 (17-40) requests per day was recorded and the AMS pharmacist received 24 (16-31) requests daily. Most requests came from the intensive care unit (22.1%), pharmacy (21.4%), and infectious diseases (17.1%). The AMS pharmacist was mostly contacted by consultants and pharmacists, and other pharmacists were contacted by registrars and junior medical officers. Despite COVID-19 adaptations, face-to-face interaction was most common. This audit demonstrates the value of an AMS pharmacist, and indicates the importance of face-to-face interactions and the formalisation of pharmacists' role in prescribing decision-making. Pharmacists provided antimicrobial advice daily to other healthcare professionals. Further research is required to provide insights into the barriers and enablers to effective advice-giving interactions.Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Australia.
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BACKGROUND: The unprecedented disruption brought about by the global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had produced tremendous influence on the practice of pharmacy. Sufficient knowledge of pharmacists was needed to deal with the epidemic situation; however, outbreak also aggravated psychological distress among health-care professionals. Therefore, this study aimed to determine knowledge about the pandemic and related factors, prevalence and factors associated with psychological distress among hospital pharmacists of Xinjiang Province, China. METHODS: An anonymous online questionnaire-based cross-sectional study was conducted by means of WeChat, a popular social media platform in China, February 23-27, 2020, during the COVID-19 outbreak. The survey questionnaire consisted of 4 parts, including informed consent section, demographic section, knowledge about COVID-19, and assessment of overall mental health through World Health Organization's Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). A score of 8 or above on SRQ-20 was used as cutoff to classify the participant as in psychological distress. SRQ-20 score and related knowledge score were used as dependent variables, demographic characteristics (such as gender, age, monthly income, etc.) were used as independent variables, and univariate binary logistic regression was used to screen out the variables with P < 0.05. Then, the filtered variables were used as independent variables, and multivariate logistic regression models were used to analyze associations with sufficient knowledge of COVID-19 and psychological distress. RESULTS: A total of 365 pharmacists participated in the survey, fewer than half (35.1%; n = 128) of pharmacists attained a score of 6 or greater (out of 10) in overall disease knowledge, and most were able to select effective disinfectants and isolation or discharge criteria. In the multivariable model, age ages 31-40 (odds ratio [OR] = 3.25; P < 0.05), ages 41-50 (OR = 2.96; P < 0.05) versus >50 (referent); primary place of practice in hospitals: drug supply (OR = 4.00; P < 0.01), inpatient pharmacy (OR = 2.06, P < 0.01), clinical pharmacy (OR = 2.17, P < 0.05) versus outpatient pharmacy (referent); monthly income Renminbi (RMB, China's legal currency) 5000-10,000 (OR = 1.77; P < 0.05) versus < 5000 (referent); contact with COVID-19 patients or suspected cases (OR = 2.27; P < 0.01); access to COVID-19 knowledge remote work+ on-site work (OR = 6.07; P < 0.05), single on-site work (OR = 6.90; P < 0.01) versus remote work (referent) were related to better knowledge of COVID-19. Research found that 18.4% of pharmacists surveyed met the SRQ-20 threshold for distress. Self-reported history of mental illness (OR = 3.56; P < 0.05) and working and living in hospital versus delay in work resumption (OR = 2.87; P < 0.01) were found to be risk factors of psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS: Further training of COVID-19 knowledge was required for pharmacists. As specific pharmacist groups were prone to psychological distress, it was important for individual hospitals and government to consider and identify pharmacists' needs and take steps to meet their needs with regard to pandemic and other work-related distress.
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Background: During coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, avoiding hospital visits only to obtain medication was crucial to protect patients and to ensure hospital responsiveness. Portuguese pharmacies have national coverage. Purpose(s): To establish a nationwide response that allows patients to receive their specialty medicines (SM) in a community pharmacy of their convenience or at home, ensuring treatment continuity and avoiding unnecessary travelling to and from a hospital. Method(s): Community pharmacies, hospitals and pharmaceutical wholesalers collaborated in a structured, multidisciplinary operation, involving healthcare professionals and pharmaceutical stakeholders, endorsed by Pharmaceutical and Medical Societies: Operacao Luz Verde (OLV). Hospitals, patient associations, community pharmacies and patients themselves can ask for the dispensing of SM at a community pharmacy. Requests are received by a pharmacist specialised support line (LAF), which ensures communication between all stakeholders. Hospital pharmacists prepare the medicines and wholesalers provide transportation to ensure good practice. Community pharmacists scheduled for medicines to be dispensed with patients, ensuring electronic records and reports of eventual problems were sent to the hospital. OLV is free of charge for patients and hospitals, at least until the end of May 2020. Result(s): From the 23rd March until the 15th May 15, 12,229 patient requests were approved by a total of 33 hospitals;2,189 participating pharmacies and 20 patient associations endorsed the initiative. Final results will be presented at a later date. Conclusion(s): Community pharmacies may have an important role in the dispensing of SM. OLV may improve access to these medicines and reinforce potential for reducing inequities.
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Background: Clopidogrel is a CYP2C19-activated pro-drug, used to prevent cardiovascular events. Up to 27% of Caucasians has at least one CYP2C19*2 allele (impaired enzymatic activity), whereas 38% have at least one CYP2C19*17 allele (higher enzymatic activity). However, CYP2C19 pharmacogenetic analysis before prescribing clopidogrel is not widely implemented in clinical practice. Purpose(s): To evaluate feasibility and operability of a collaborative pilot circuit to determine pharmacogenetic markers to optimise clopidogrel prescription. Method(s): The authors expect 150 patients with a clopidogrel prescription by a cardiologist of Hospital de Sant Pau to enrol. They can enrol when filling their prescriptions in one of the 24 collaborating community pharmacies in the Hospital's area. Community pharmacists collect from each participant's pharmacotherapeutic profile and a saliva sample to be sent to the hospital for CYP2C19 genotyping. Hospital pharmacists collate all obtained data with their clinical records. Data are analysed jointly with a cardiologist to assess clopidogrel prescription adequacy. Barcelona Pharmacists' Association (COFB) coordinates the whole project and provides IT and logistic support. Result(s): This project started in January 2020 and it was temporarily suspended due to the COVID19 pandemic. On 13th March 2020, 114 patients with clopidogrel prescriptions were registered, 21 met the inclusion criteria and 15 were enrolled. Five out of the eight already genotyped patients were intermediate or poor metabolisers. Conclusion(s): This circuit seems to be feasible, but further research is needed once the study is resumed. Pharmacogenetics increasing clinical relevance needs more clinical implication of pharmacists.
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Background: In the Netherlands, pharmacists are not qualified to vaccinate. KNMP would like to advocate for this qualification. In order to do so, it is important to know the attitude of Dutch community pharmacists towards vaccination qualifications, the willingness to be trained to vaccinate and towards a possible different scenario: pharmacy-based vaccination by a nurse. Purpose(s): To assess the attitude of Dutch community pharmacists towards vaccination qualification of pharmacists, the willingness to be trained to vaccinate and the attitude towards pharmacy-based vaccination by a nurse. Method(s): We developed a questionnaire and spread it by email to all KNMP members. Result(s): Sisty-six percent (66%) of the responders were positive about vaccination qualification of pharmacists (17% neutral and 17% negative), and even 78% were willing to be trained to vaccinate (ten percent neutral and 12% negative). On the other hand, only 34% was positive about pharmacy-based vaccination by a nurse (27% neutral and 39% negative). 95% of the responders were community pharmacists, of which 12% were hospital-based community pharmacists, five percent were hospital pharmacists and five percent were other pharmacists. The total number of respondents was 60, that is a response rate of two percent. Conclusion(s): We have a positive impression of the attitude of Dutch community pharmacists towards vaccination qualification of pharmacists and the willingness to be trained to vaccinate. This is a much more popular scenario than vaccination by a nurse who could vaccinate in the pharmacy. Because the total response to the questionnaire was low, we cannot be sure whether this is representative of Dutch community pharmacists or not. We considered sending the questionnaire again after the COVID-19 crisis, to gain higher response.
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The introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPE) in Taiwan, which are traditionally conducted in physical hospital settings, incorporated up to 30% distance learning from May 2021 due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). A web-based cross-sectional survey was adopted to investigate pharmacy students' experiences and perceptions of transitioning from in-hospital internships to distance learning due to COVID-19 in the pharmacy department of a university in Southern Taiwan. We analyzed the results to discover factors that significantly affected students' perceptions of transitioning from in-hospital internships to distance learning. In total, 81 interns from the university's pharmacy department responded to the questionnaire. Approximately half of the participants felt happy when they learned, before the internship began, that the internship would be partially replaced with distance learning. The overall satisfaction rate was 67.9%, and no significant differences was observed in students' satisfaction between hospital size or distance-learning time. However, more students in the medical center felt they had insufficient time to finish assignments compared to those in the regional hospitals, and the students who had 11-15 days of distance learning felt that they interacted more smoothly with their peers compared to those who had other durations. Program designers should make distance internship courses more student-centered, with a focus on increasing interactions between students, teachers, and peers to compensate for the lack of physical presence.
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Background and importance Pharmaceutical validation of inpatient treatments is a fundamental activity in the clinical practice of the hospital pharmacist. Thanks to this, many prescription errors are detected, promoting patient safety. Aim and objectives To describe the interventions performed by a hospital pharmacy resident in the area of pharmaceutical validation, supervised by consultant pharmacists, and to evaluate their degree of acceptance. Material and methods Prospective interventional study conducted during September 2021. Adult inpatients, whose hospital treatment was reviewed, were included. Demographic (sex and age), clinical (clinical judgement (CJ) and inpatient clinical service) and pharmacotherapeutic (number of chronic medicines and polymedication (≥6 drugs)) variables were collected. Interventions were reported to the clinician via electronic prescribing software. They were classified as: Activity (reconciliation on admission/information to the clinician), Adequacy (detection of prescribing error/therapy reconciliation error), Change (therapeutic exchange), Initiation (usual treatment not prescribed/need for additional treatment), Modification Dosage Form (DF) or Posology, Suspension (duplicity/unnecessary medication/allergy). Patient lists and data were collected through medical records and electronic prescribing software, and processed using Excel 2020. Results Interventions were performed in 56 patients. 63.2% male;median age 73 years (IQR 61-80). The most frequent CJ were: heart failure (10.7%), COVID-19 (7.1%), liver dysfunction (7.1%). Services with most interventions: Internal Medicine (25.8%), General/Vascular Surgery (19.4%), Digestive (11.3%). Median number of chronic medicines: 8 (IQR 5-12). Polymedication in 71.4%. 62 interventions were performed (12.9% were 'not evaluable', reasons: discharge/death). Of the evaluable interventions, 77.8% were accepted. The percentages were: duplicity (30.9%), modification DF/posology (23.8%), usual treatment not prescribed (7.1%), therapeutic exchange (7.1%), discontinue medication due to allergy (7.1%), therapy reconciliation error (4.8%), reconciliation on admission (4.8%), information (4.8%), additional treatment (4.8%), prescribing error (2.4%), unnecessary medication (2.4%). Of the accepted interventions, 11.9% were related to high-risk medicines according to the Institute for the Safe Use of Medicines1- 2 (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), betablockers, heparin, immunosuppressants). Of the not-accepted interventions, 50.0% corresponded to errors in home treatment reconciliation. Conclusion and relevance The data obtained demonstrate that clinical interventions performed by the hospital pharmacy resident have a high degree of acceptance, increasing the quality and safety of healthcare and avoiding medication errors.
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Background and importance The use of telepharmacy technology allows pharmacists to provide clinical pharmaceutical services to patients who need regular services during the COVID- 19 pandemic while maintaining distance and minimising faceto- face meetings. Aim and objectives To analyse the implementation of a telepharmacy system in a tertiary hospital as a pilot project during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods Prospective observational study conducted from March 2020 to May 2021 in the Outpatient Unit (OU) of the Pharmacy Service of a tertiary hospital. Telepharmacy was implemented by selecting patients who agreed to participate in this project. A circuit was established in which the pharmacist carried out pharmaceutical care to collect relevant information on the pharmacological treatment of the patients, validated the treatment and proceeded to carry out the hospital dispensing, followed by the dispatch of medication to the Pharmacy Office closest to the patient's home. Once the medication had been dispensed, the hospital pharmacist performed pharmacotherapeutic follow-up telephone consultations to check that everything was correct. Results During this period, 5878 patients attended the OU, 2875 (48.9%) were selected to benefit from the implementation of telepharmacy because of their advanced age, mobility problems, vulnerability due to their disease, and distance due to living in a rural area. 33 515 hospital dispensations were done, 15 500 (46.2%) were dispensed through the telepharmacy system, with an average of 6 hospital dispensations per patient. The largest number of patients served by the telepharmacy system were from Neurology (363, 14.6%) with 2136 dispenses (18.0%), followed by Rheumatology (348;14.0%) with 1832 dispenses (15.5%), in third place was Dermatology (191;7.7%) with 889 dispenses (7.5%) and in fourth place Pneumology (112, 4.5%) with 792 dispenses (6.0%). The average number of dispensations per month at OU was 2700, of which 1500 were face-to-face and 1200 were shipments. Conclusion and relevance The implementation of telepharmacy has been a new challenge for the Pharmacy Service. It has proved to be a helpful tool to facilitate pharmaceutical care and hospital dispensing of medicines during the pandemic, avoiding face-to-face visits.
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Background and importance Over the last 2 years the COVID- 19 pandemic (C-19) has severely impacted the diagnosis and treatment of patients suffering from cancer. Considering breast cancer (BC) as a case study;fewer women than expected have been diagnosed, predicting a backlog of cases that could overwhelm the current infrastructure. In addition, measures directed at reducing viral spread such as social distancing or increased sanitary practices limit current resource utilisation. Targeted measures are advised to offset these constraints to assure that affected women are effectively cared for in a timely manner, despite health care budgets that have been severely impacted by the pandemic, for example, by managing treatment toxicity to limit emergency hospital attendance or admissions. Aim and objectives To identify evidence of possible interventions that could favourably impact (1) treatment capacity, (2) planned and unplanned attendance at hospitals and clinics and (3) the overall costs of treatment. Material and methods The key steps in the patient journey through BC systemic adjuvant therapy were identified. At each step a systematic and structured literature search using PubMed, Clinical Trials Registries and Google Advanced Search was conducted to identify candidate interventions, the level of evidence, quantifiable risks and benefits and statistical significance. Results Safer care during C-19 requires increased separation of patients and staff, impacting treatment capacity. A broad range of possible effective interventions were identified including validated patient preassessment tools, shortened treatment schedules, rapid infusion delivery, dose-banding, enhanced toxicity monitoring and prevention, the subcutaneous and coadministration of therapeutics, home delivery of treatments and wider use of cost-effective treatment options created by generic and biosimilar products. Each step is identified on the patient pathway map of the poster. Conclusion and relevance Hospital pharmacists have a catalogue of targeted, evidence-based measures at their disposal to assure that women with breast cancer can be effectively cared for in a timely manner despite the impact of C-19 and resulting challenges in treatment capacity and health care budgets.
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Background and importance Erenumab was approved for migraine prophylaxis shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic. After 18 months, there was enough data to conduct several studies. Aim and objectives Evaluate effectiveness and safety of erenumab using real-world data and compare the results with clinical trials. Material and methods A retrospective, observational study was performed in a second-level hospital. Evaluation of patients with migraine being treated with erenumab for at least 6 months. Data extraction from clinical histories and prescription software. Patient-related outcomes filled in their clinical history by the neurologist and pharmacist. Results 55 patients recruited to commence treatment with erenumab between January 2020 and April 2021. 48 patients included (7 patients excluded due to lack of follow-up). 44 women, average age 49.7 years, and 21 days per month with migraine (MMD). 26 patients reached a reduction of MMD of ≥50%, and 10 of ≥75% (54.2% and 20.8%, respectively) after a followup of between 3 and 9 months. Of the 22 patients that did not reach at least 50% reduction in MMD, 7 patients tried a dosage increase, with 5 of them achieving an average 61% reduction in MMD. All patients mentioned having softer migraine pain. Regarding safety, only 11 patients experienced adverse reactions, mostly constipation. Three patients needed to cease treatment. Conclusion and relevance Erenumab has established a new treatment in migraine prophylaxis that works even better than in the clinical trials. According to clinical trials results, erenumab can reduce MMD by 50% in about 40% of patients regardless of the dosage, and by 75% in about 18.9% of patients. In our findings, erenumab achieved a 50% reduction in 54.2% of patients, and a 75% reduction in 20.8% of patients, achieving better results in real life than in the clinical trials. Our study has as a limitation the follow-up being carried out by physicians and not by pharmacists, which could improve patient-related outcomes and experiences as hospital pharmacists dispense medication every 2 months in our hospital. The hospital pharmacist's role can be useful for evaluating treatments results described by patients.
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Aim In March 2020, COVID-19 triggered an NHS directive to reduce face-to-face consultations and adapt to virtual clinics. 1 Hospital pharmacies, each with their own model of care, quickly innovated to ensure patients received their medication safely. The aim of this study was to evaluate the provision of medications optimisation for paediatric patients following virtual outpatient consultations (VOC) and explore potential improvements for future implementations. Method This was a mixed method study using quantitative data;which reviewed medications sent to patients in red, amber, and green categories2 and qualitative data;using patient feedback, to evaluate the processes in three London hospitals. Pathway mapping (PM) sessions, with multidisciplinary team involvement, were conducted across these hospitals to identify areas for improvement and analyse gaps in services. Virtual PM sessions were attended by 30 representatives across the multidisciplinary team including: pharmacists, nurses, consultants, pharmacy technicians, post room attendants;and general, operational, and project managers. Semi-structured questionnaires were used to conduct one to one telephone interviews with patients' families. A separate topic guide was used to interview General practitioners (GP) and primary care network (PCN) pharmacists. The audio recordings were transcribed as 'intelligent verbatim' and analysed using Nvivo. Braun and Clarke's six phases approach was used to conduct an inductive thematic analysis.3 To improve the rigorousness of the study, more than 50% of the transcript were double coded.4 As this was a service evaluation, ethics approval was not necessary. The project was registered with each hospital's clinical audit department. Results The three process maps were analysed and potential improvements for the medicines optimisation pathway were assessed by a paediatric pharmacy subgroup using ease-impact matrix. Potential improvements include: exploration and use of Electronic Prescription Service by secondary and tertiary care, improving communication through Information Technology systems between prescribers and hospital pharmacists, and the creation of a transparent standard operating procedure regarding medication supply following VOC. Seventy-one patients' families across the sites were interviewed between January-May 2021 to reflect on their experience of receiving medications following a VOC. Four GPs and one PCN pharmacist were interviewed in May 2021 to assess on the impact of VOC on primary care. Key reflections from themes generated include the convenience of receiving medications from hospital pharmacies following VOC, satisfaction of the current process, including medicines packaging and medicines information provided to patients and their families. Other reflections included limitations of the current process and its implication on patient safety. Medicines information helplines and education provided by pharmacists were regarded by patients' families and GPs as a valuable attribute. Conclusion Patients' families appreciated the current model of care, however patients' families and primary care healthcare professionals have identified both challenges and suggestions for improvement in delivering the current model. Future research should focus on a mixed mode of integrated care with green and amber medications2 prescribed directly to community pharmacies with clinical screening and counselling conducted by hospital pharmacists.
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Midst to current Coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the international pharmaceutical federation stated that pharmacists being a part of the healthcare system had a crucial role in the management cycle of COVID-19 outbreak. The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of pharmacists working in various sector like hospital and community area, to snapshoot their current preparedness and awareness regarding COVID-19. A cross-section online survey was conducted between Oct to Dec 2020, during the lockdown stage. The data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The study instrument was designed by a team of authors after a rigorous literature review. The questionnaire was divided into 4 parts. The first part comprised of demographic information of the respondents. The second part identified the source of respondents' COVID-19 knowledge. The third part assessed the knowledge of pharmacist regarding COVID-19 in which Yes or No option was given against each set of question. The last part determined the perception and attitude of respondents towards COVID-19. Among 92 participants, 65.2% male and 34.8% female. 54.3% pharmacist worked in hospital with 53.3% of bachelor degree. 76.1% pharmacist received the information from ministry of health, Saudi Arabia. Most of the pharmacist had great knowledge with average percentage with 75%, the perception also observed as good with 90% of responses and the attitude also good with above 90% of responses. The hospital pharmacists had good knowledge, attitude and practice towards the COVID-19. The majority of the pharmacists perceived that they can play an important role in this pandemic. It is important for all the pharmacists to have standard authentic information about the COVID-19 and to further convey this knowledge and belief to the community. Future studies are required to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of other health workers and other segments of society.
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Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is one of the greatest pandemics of modern times. More than one hundred eleven million global deaths have already been associated with COVID-19. The incidence of COVID-19 as well as morbidity and mortality due to COVID-19 have increased in low-income countries (LICs). COVID-19 has further weakened health systems in LICs, that are already distressed by inadequate funding, lack of human resources, and poor infrastructure and service delivery. Despite the resource crunch, hospital LICs have been instrumental in treating COVID-19 patients. Pharmacists working in hospitals play an indispensable role in providing pharmaceutical services for infection prevention and control. This study discusses the contribution of hospital pharmacists and the challenges faced by them for treating COVID-19 patients in LICs before the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out.