ABSTRACT
Introducción: Las farmacias de comunidad privada en Costa Rica tienen una amplia trayectoria. Sin embargo, los servicios de Atención Farmacéutica desarrollados en estos centros de salud son poco conocidos y documentados, lo que dificulta determinar la importancia de estos servicios para la sociedad.Método: Este es un estudio observacional, descriptivo realizado en los cinco cantones con mayor número de farmacias de comunidad privada de la provincia de San José (capital de Costa Rica). El estudio se realizó mediante la aplicación de un cuestionario a usuarios habituales de las farmacias seleccionadas durante el año 2018.Resultados: Se realizaron un total de 385 encuestas. El análisis de los cuestionarios indica que un 60,8% de los usuarios asisten por lo menos una vez al mes a la farmacia. El 93% considera que el farmacéutico es un profesional que trasmite confianza y seguridad y el 79% indica que su salud puede mejorar si recibe educación continua por parte del regente farmacéutico.Conclusiones: Los resultados evidencian la necesidad del desarrollo de un programa de Atención Farmacéutica en el ámbito privado. Ya que los usuarios consideran que, por ser las farmacias lugares de fácil acceso, su salud mejoraría de ser orientados sobre su tratamiento en una forma continua. (AU)
Introduction: Private community pharmacies in Costa Rica have a long history. However, developed Pharmaceutical Care services in these health centers are little known and documented, which makes it difficult to determine the importance of these services for society.Method: This is an observational, descriptive study carried out in the five cities in the province of San Jose (Costa Rica capital) with the highest number of pharmacies. The study was carried out by applying a questionnaire to regular users of the selected pharmacies during 2018.Results: A total of 385 surveys were conducted. The analysis of the questionnaires indicates that 60.8% of users attend the pharmacy at least once a month. 93% consider that the pharmacist is a professional who transmits confidence and security and 79% indicate that their health can improve if they receive continuous education from the pharmaceutical.Conclusions: The results show the need for the development of a Pharmaceutical Care program in the private sphere. Since users consider that, as pharmacies are easily accessible places, their health would improve if they were guided about their treatment on a continuous basis. (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Pharmacy , Pharmaceutical Services , Pharmaceutical Preparations , Surveys and Questionnaires , Costa RicaABSTRACT
Introduction: Minor Ailment Service is a very common pharmaceutical service. The objective was to evaluate the criteria associated with the referral to physician or with dispensing medicines in those consultations in Costa Rica.Method: Observational descriptive cross-sectional multicenter exploratory study of: Minor Ailment Service consultations in 30 community pharmacies, and analyzed the factors associated with to refer to the physician or dispense medicines.Results: There were 1,538 consultations, of which medicines are dispensed in 92.3% of them (n=1,420), referred to the physician in 6.7% (n=103). In relation to the intervention of referring to the physician, the bivariate analysis showed a statistically significant association with them, highlighting the criteria suspected adverse drug reaction, medicines use currently for other health problem and duration of the health problem ≥7 days.Conclusions: The service is complex and shows that the pharmacist follows a series of criteria to make a decision the referral to physician or dispensing medicines. There are seven important criteria according to this study. However, the one that stands out is suspected adverse drug reaction, followed by medicines use currently for other health problems, duration of the health problem ≥7 days and pregnancy/lactation. (AU)
Introducción: La indicación farmacéutica es un servicio farmacéutico muy común. El objetivo fue evaluar criterios asociados con derivar al médico o dispensar.Método: Estudio exploratorio multicéntrico, descriptivo de las consultas de indicación farmacéutica en 30 farmacias comunitarias durante 8 semanas. Resultados: Hubo 1.538 consultas, de las cuales se dispensaron medicamentos en el 92,3% de ellas (n=1.420), remitidas al médico en el 6,7% (n=103). En relación con la intervención de referirse al médico, el análisis bivariado mostró una asociación estadísticamente significativa con ellos, destacando los criterios sospecha de reacción adversa a medicamentos, uso de medicamentos actualmente para otro problema de salud y duración del problema de salud ≥7 días.Conclusiones: El servicio es complejo y muestra que el farmacéutico sigue una serie de criterios para la derivación al médico o la dispensación. Hay siete criterios importantes según este estudio. Sin embargo, el que destaca es la sospecha de reacción adversa a medicamentos, seguido del uso de medicamentos actualmente para otros problemas de salud, la duración del problema de salud ≥7 días y el embarazo/lactancia. (AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Pharmaceutical Services/supply & distribution , Pharmaceutical Services/trends , Multicenter Studies as Topic , Epidemiology, Descriptive , Pharmacies , Costa RicaABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The asthma stepwise treatment approach recommended is based on monitoring patients' symptoms. The Asthma Research in Children and Adolescents (ARCA) cohort was created to provide evidence about the evolution of persistent asthma. This manuscript describes the development of an electronic health tool, comprising a mobile health application for patients with asthma and its associated online platform for pediatricians to monitor them. METHODS: The development process followed 7 phases: the first 5 (Conceptualization, Preparation, Assessment scheduling, Image and user interface, and Technical development) defined and designed the tool, followed by a testing phase (functionality assessment and pilot test with ARCA patients), and a last phase which evaluated usability. Since the target population was aged 6-16 years, three versions were designed within the same smartphone application: parents/proxy, children, and adolescents. The online platform for pediatricians provides real-time information from the application: patients' responses over time with color-coded charts (red/amber/green, as in traffic lights). RESULTS: The pilot test through semi-structured phone interviews of the first 50 participants included in the ARCA study (n = 53) detected their misunderstandings. Pediatricians were trained to emphasize that the application is free of charge and requires monthly answers. Median of the System Usability Scale scores (n = 85), ranging 0 (negative)-100 (positive), was > 93 in the three age versions of the application. CONCLUSIONS: Technology has the capability of transforming the use of patient-reported outcomes. Describing all the development phases of a mobile health application for monitoring children and adolescents with asthma may increase the knowledge on how to design applications for young patients.
Subject(s)
Asthma , Mobile Applications , Telemedicine , Adolescent , Child , Humans , Quality of Life/psychology , SmartphoneABSTRACT
Introducción: La IndF es un servicio que tiene características particulares según país. Conocerlas permite una mejor toma de decisiones. Objetivo: Caracterizar las consultas de IndF con el fin de tener un primer perfil de ellas. Material y métodos: Estudio piloto descriptivo transversal multicéntrico, realizado durante dos meses en 30 farmacias comunitarias del Área Metropolitana de Costa Rica. Resultados: Se caracterizaron 1 538 consultas de IndF. Las principales características de los pacientes fueron: rango de edad de 18 a 40 años (56,8%), ausencia de medicamentos concomitantes (74,8%), ausencia de medicamentos con anterioridad para el tratamiento del PS consultado (64,8%), ausencia de otros PS asociados (73,7%), así como ausencia de alergias a medicamentos (91,9%) o alimentos (80,9%). Los principales usuarios fueron los propios pacientes (76,40%). El PRM mayoritario fue el PS insuficientemente tratado (70,8%). Los principales PS, en general, tuvieron una duración menor a siete días (68,1%), y destacaron las enfermedades respiratorias (27,8%), digestivas (16,8%) y osteomusculares (11,3%). La principal intervención farmacéutica fue indicar y dispensar un medicamento (92,3%). El principal grupo de la clasificación ATC dispensado fue el sistema músculo esquelé- tico (35,7%). Conclusión: Las principales consultas fueron por PS relacionados con los sistemas respiratorio, digestivo y osteomuscular, destacando que el principal usuario fue el propio paciente, en un rango de edad de 18 a 40 años y que la intervención farmacéutica mayoritaria fue la indicación y dispensación de medicamentos de los sistemas musculoesquelético, respiratorio y digestivo
Introduction: The Minor Illness Service has specific characteristics according to the country. Knowing them improves pharmacists decisionmaking. Objective: To characterize the Minor Illness Service inquiries in order to build their first national profile. Material and methods: During two months, it was carried out a cross-sectional multicenter pilot study in 30 community pharmacies in Costa Rica metropolitan area. Results: Overall, 1538 Minor Illness Service inquiries were characterized. Participants main characteristics were: age range of 18-40 years (56.8%), absence of simultaneous use of other medications (74.8%) or past use of other medications to treat the currently reported health problem (64.8%). Furthermore, patients did not report any other health-related problem (73.7%) and no drug (91.9%) or food (80.9%) allergies were described. In addition, the main user of this service was the own patient (76.40%), and the most frequently mentioned drug-related problem was the insufficiently treated health problem (70.8%). Health problems reported were mostly associated with respiratory (27.8%), digestive (16.8%) and musculoskeletal diseases (11.3%) with an average duration of less than seven days (68.1%). Pharmacists main intervention was based on indicating and dispensing a medication (93.3%). Using the ATC classification, medications for the muscular system were the most commonly dispensed (35.7%). Conclusion: The Minor Illness Service inquiries were linked to respiratory, digestive and muscular systems health problems including patients in the 18-40 age range as the main users of the service. Pharmacists main intervention was the indication of medications for the above mentioned systems
