A facility-based assessment of the pharmacy departments in government health institutions in St. Ann

ABSTRACT

Equity in health care is basic concept in primary health care. To be equitable it must be available, accessible, acceptable and affordable. This include the provision of essential drugs. This study was undertaken to examine the level of pharmaceutical care available to the people of St. Ann through the government public health system and the attitude of the people to the service. To do this, direct observation of the facilities, a self administered questionnaire for pharmacists and exit interviews of 75 persons, were conducted in three of the five facilities which are required, by their classification, to offer pharmaceutical services in the parish. Results indicate that the patients have a generally fair attitude towards the service with the main agent of discontent being the long waiting time for the service and the unavailability of essential drugs. The distance travelled, more than ten miles, by a significant number of persons was greater than that desired by primary care advocates. The lack of adequate facilities and tools with which to work, were noted by the pharmacists as a hindrance to the performance of their duties. A study of the level of patient drug compliance/non-compliance and the level of admission to hospital due to drug misadventure would be useful, to determine the effect of the level of service on other aspects of health care.(AU)