Pharmacist's Perspectives on Administering a COVID-19 Vaccine in Community Pharmacies in Four Balkan Countries.

Community pharmacists expanded their roles and engaged in vaccination services in many countries around the world, but not in Balkan countries. This research aimed to assess the perceptions of pharmacists on involvement in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine administration in four Balkan countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, and Serbia). A cross-sectional survey was conducted using an online questionnaire that was distributed to community pharmacists across these countries between February and March 2021. A total of 636 community pharmacists were included in the analysis of the survey. The willingness to administer vaccines for COVID-19 (or other vaccines well established in the practice, like a flu vaccine) in community pharmacies is significantly different among the countries: the pharmacists from Albania were more willing to administer vaccines. The factors associated with the eagerness to vaccinate are almost the same among the countries: the lack of training in the faculty classes and the lack of a special place where to administer vaccines. Additional significant factors were found in Bulgaria (pharmacists from independent pharmacies wanted more than the pharmacists working in chain pharmacies to administer vaccines) and in Serbia (male pharmacists agreed more with administering vaccines than female pharmacists). Further national reforms are needed for adopting the expanding role of community pharmacists.

[Contribution of pharmacists to the development of healthcare culture in Vranje by the end of the 19th century and in the first half of the 20th century].

INTRODUCTION: Healthcare enlightenment and healthcare culture in Vranje and its region were under Turkish influence until the liberation in 1878, when the organisation of education, schooling and healthcare were initiated in the Vranje region OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study were to shed light on the beginning of the development of pharmaceutical personnel, and their contribution to healthcare culture development in Vranje and its region, with a focus on healthcare legislation and its impact on pharmaceutical service availability, and the analysis of pharmaceutical personnel development within the healthcare services. METHODS: We used the methods of documentation analysis and the desk analysis of the secondary information. RESULTS: At the beginning of the 19th century healthcare services in Vranje were still inexistent. After the liberation from the Turks, Naum's medical office with pharmacy was opened in Vranje. Although it did not comply with regulations, it presented the only formal source of supply of medications and sanitary material, and as such it gave its contribution to healthcare service at that time in Vranje. Mr ph. Stevan Varjacic, 1st class pharmacy assistant, worked at a temporary hospital from 1880 until January 1881, suppling with medications soldiers and residents of Vranje. The development of pharmaceutical schooling began in 1883, when a pharmacy was opened by the pharmacist Velimir Karic according to the Law on Healthcare Organisation and People's Healthcare Maintenance. By the end of the 1930s there were ten civilian healthcare institutions in Vranje, even three of which were pharmacies. By the end of 1948, they were nationalized, and were renamed the City National Pharmacy of Vranje. CONCLUSION: By the end of the 10th century, passing of the legislation on the regulations of pharmaceutical industry within healthcare services had an impact on Vranje that resulted in opening pharmacies with educated pharmaceutical personnel. Pharmacy owners changed, and the quality and continuity of medical supplies was always secured.