A nationwide survey of pharmacy students’ knowledge and perceptions regarding medical cannabis

ObjectiveThe primary objective of this study was to compare knowledge and perceptions of medical cannabis (MC) between pharmacy students who attended schools where MC was legal and illegal.DesignA nationwide anonymous survey regarding MC was distributed to pharmacy students. The survey consisted of the following sections: (1) demographics and personal factors, (2) knowledge assessment of indications and adverse effects of MC, and (3) perceptions assessment.Setting and participantsEqual numbers of pharmacy schools were selected and sent surveys based on geographical regions, private versus public universities, and the state’s legal status of MC for first through fourth-year pharmacy students to complete.Outcome measuresStudent knowledge of MC indications and adverse effects were treated as quizzes. Median percentage correct and whether students passed the quizzes (≥ 70%) were evaluated based on the state’s legal status. Students’ perceptions were similarly compared.ResultsA total of 629 students accessed the survey. Most students who completed the survey attended pharmacy schools where MC was illegal (55%), were female (68%), and had personally tried cannabis (53%). Overall, 91% of students believed that MC should be legalized nationally. A low number of students correctly identify approved indications with 14.8% of students in states with MC legalization scoring greater than 70% compared with 15.9% of students in states without MC legalization (P = 0.748). Similar findings were seen in the side effects quiz with only 6.1% of students in states with legal MC scoring greater than 70% compared with 7.4% of students where MC is illegal (P = 0.569) There were minimal differences in students’ perceptions of MC based on the states’ legal status.ConclusionOur study continues to highlight that pharmacy students lack knowledge and preparation to counsel and educate on MC. With increasing state legalizations, pharmacy schools need to address this knowledge gap to ensure optimal patient care.     

Evaluation of community pharmacists’ knowledge about drug–drug interaction in Central Saudi Arabia

IntroductionAlthough all implemented and ongoing initiatives, drug-drug interactions (DDIs) are still a global problem. Most published studies about DDIs in Saudi Arabia are carried out in hospital settings. In addition, assessing the knowledge of drug interactions in Saudi Arabia is limited. The aim of our study is to evaluate the knowledge of potential common drug-drug interactions among community pharmacists particularly in Saudi Arabia.MethodologyA crosses-sectional study utilizing a self- administered questionnaire was conducted among community pharmacy in Riyadh city Saudi Arabia. DDIs' knowledge was assessed by 26 drug pairs. Community pharmacists were asked to select the DDIs as “contraindication”, “may be used together with monitoring”, “no interaction” and “not sure”.ResultsA total of 283 of community pharmacists completed the survey with response rate of 80.9%. Among the 26 drug pairs only 5 of them were identified correctly by most of the participants. To add more 3 out of the 5 pairs had a cutoff of less than 10% between the correct and wrong answer, meaning there still a majority that couldn't identify the correct answer. All the 26 pairs had a statistically significant difference between the correct and incorrect answer.ConclusionThe results of this study showed that knowledge of community pharmacists about DDIs was inadequate. Community pharmacist should have specific courses in drug interactions to cover the most possible interactions that can be seen in this setting.     

Community pharmacists’ attitudes toward dispensing errors at community pharmacy setting in Central Saudi Arabia

Purpose

The main objective of this study was to survey pharmacists’ attitudes toward dispensing errors in community pharmacy settings in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey of community pharmacists in Riyadh region, Saudi Arabia was conducted over a period of 6 months from March through September 2012. A stratified random sample of eight hundred registered pharmacy practitioners was collected all over Riyadh region. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version19.0 for windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois).

Results

The response rate was almost 82%. The majority of the respondents are young adults (90.2%). The median for years of registration of respondent pharmacists was 9 years (range 1–37 years). About 62% (407) of the respondents have a positive response while only 37.8% (n = 248) have a negative response in this respect. The major factors identified were pharmacist assistant (82.2%) and high workload (72.5%). The most appreciated factors that help reducing dispensing errors are improving doctors’ hand writing and reducing work load of the pharmacist (82.9% and 82.8% respectively), having drug names that are distinctive (76.1%) and having more than one pharmacist in duty (75.5%).

Conclusion

In conclusion, majority of community pharmacists indicated that the risk of dispensing errors was increasing and most of them were aware of dispensing errors. It is obvious from the study results that dispensing errors is a big concern for community pharmacy practice in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, there is an urgent need for the professional organizations and Pharmacy Boards in Saudi Arabia to determine standards for the profession.     

Patient’s medicinal knowledge in Saudi Arabia: Are we doing well?

Patient education is one of the main factors of patient therapeutic plan and without it, the patient may not benefit from his/her medications. Several studies showed the effectiveness of educating patients about their disease(s) and their medication(s) which ultimately enhance their quality of life especially in chronic diseases such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Concept of patient education is well known and understood in the Western countries while in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia it is not well established despite some efforts made by few big hospitals. In Saudi Arabia, different stakeholders such as hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, healthcare professionals, health societies and association and governmental agencies do not do their job as patient education. Aim of this paper was to throw some light about the current situation in Saudi Arabia.     

Pharmacy students’ satisfaction with Introductory Pharmacy Practice Experiences (IPPE) at community pharmacy: The case of Saudi Arabia

ObjectiveTo assess pharmacy students’ satisfaction with introductory pharmacy practice experiences (IPPE) at community pharmacy and the impact of the training on their future career.MethodsA self-administered questionnaire was made available to 74 male pharmacy students who completed 4 weeks community pharmacy IPPE. The questionnaire consists of 24 questions that were organized into 5 domains with a scale of six options were used to answer each question.ResultsA total of 43 students completed the survey (58%). Most of them evaluated their training experience as either as good (41.86%) or excellent (41.86%). One third of students (34.88%) were very satisfied about the clarity of the community pharmacy IPPE goals and objectives given prior to the training period. About half of students (51.6%) received a good direction and feedback from their preceptors. Regarding the contact with the patient or guardian, (39.53%) of the students chose neutral while (25.58%) of the students were very satisfied. The learning environment was satisfactory for (32.56%) of students. Regarding skills domain, students strongly agreed that their skills were improved; Communication skills as reported by (48.84%) of students, documentation skills as reported by (34.88%) of students, and clinical skills as reported by (34.88%) of students.ConclusionSurveyed male students were in general satisfied with their training experience at community pharmacy. Providing an orientation to the community pharmacy preceptors and granted electronic access of necessary information to the students might increase their satisfaction.     

Pharmacists’ satisfaction with their involvement in the management of COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia

IntroductionThe Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a public health emergency and during this unprecedented situation, health care providers across the globe are at the frontline in the fight against this disease. Countries that have been severely hit by the pandemic are using pharmacists to help triage patients. In order to ensure the continuity of these services, it is of paramount importance that pharmacists be formally involved and engaged in the management of this pandemic. In response to the underlying knowledge deficit, this study was undertaken as the first of its kind in the entirety of Saudi Arabia.MethodsThis study is a questionnaire based cross-sectional study that was carried out for a period of five months from March 2020 to July 2020 to assess the role of working pharmacists in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic under different health care settings across Saudi Arabia.ResultsA total of 398 responses were recorded, in which 51.1% of the respondents were not involved in any learning or awareness activities involving health care providers (HCPs) or patients. The majority of respondents (62.9%) were not involved in creating or evaluating therapeutic plans for COVID19 patients, and 55% were not involved in therapeutic mentoring of COVID19 patients. Only a very low percentage of respondents were participating in COVID19-related research within their institution. Only 37% of respondents reported being satisfied with their role and contribution in the management of COVID-19.ConclusionThe present study reveals that pharmacists are underutilized in the management of COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia. As such, the findings emphasize the importance of enhancing the role and contribution of pharmacists in patient care management across all hospitals and especially under health care crisis conditions. The establishment of a crisis standard of care guideline for all HCPs, including pharmacists, would help in improving patient overall care under crisis conditions like the present COVID-19 pandemic.     

Students’ attitude toward use of over the counter medicines during exams in Saudi Arabia

Purpose

To explore the use of over the counter (OTC) medicines among students during exams in Riyadh City, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Method

A cross-sectional study was designed; using a self-administered twenty-two item online questionnaire for the students’ convenience and easy response disclosure. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 13®.

Results

A total of N = 1596 students participated in this survey, of whom 829 (51.9%) were university students and 767 (48.1%) were high school students. Overall, 80.0% of the respondents disclosed the use of OTC non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for headache and pain relief. In addition, other substances used during the exams were Energy Drinks (5.0%), Flu Medication (5.0%), Vitamins (5.0%) and Antibiotics (5.0%). Female students were found to be more knowledgeable about safety issues concerning the use of OTC medicines (5.11 ± 1.27, p = <0.001) than male students. Ease in access to OTC medicine, availability of pharmacist consultation and advertisement in print and electronic media were the main factors disclosed by the respondents that may result in an increase in the use of OTC products. The use of OTC medicines was generally higher among female students (p = 0.001).

Conclusion

The use of OTC medication during exams was more among high school and university students. Gender, age and educational institution were found significantly affecting the use of OTC medicines during exams.     

Community pharmacists’ knowledge,behaviors and experiences about adverse drug reaction reporting in Saudi Arabia

Objective

To assess community pharmacists’ knowledge, behaviors and experiences relating to Adverse Drug Reaction (ADR) reporting in Saudi Arabia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated self-administered questionnaire. A convenience sample of 147 community pharmacists working in community pharmacies in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Results

The questionnaire was distributed to 147 pharmacists, of whom 104 responded to the survey, a 70.7% response rate. The mean age of participants was 29 years. The majority (n = 101, 98.1%) had graduated with a bachelorette degree and worked in chain pharmacies (n = 68, 66.7%). Only 23 (22.1%) said they were familiar with the ADR reporting process, and only 21 (20.2%) knew that pharmacists can submit ADR reports online. The majority of the participants (n = 90, 86.5%) had never reported ADRs. Reasons for not reporting ADRs most importantly included lack of awareness about the method of reporting (n = 22, 45.9%), misconception that reporting ADRs is the duty of physician and hospital pharmacist (n = 8, 16.6%) and ADRs in community pharmacies are simple and should not be reported (n = 8, 16.6%). The most common approach perceived by community pharmacists for managing patients suffering from ADRs was to refer him/her to a physician (n = 80, 76.9%).

Conclusion

The majority of community pharmacists in Riyadh have poor knowledge of the ADR reporting process. Pharmacovigilance authorities should take necessary steps to urgently design interventional programs in order to increase the knowledge and awareness of pharmacists regarding the ADR reporting process.     

Pharmacy students’ perceptions towards online learning in a Saudi Pharmacy School

Objectives

The aim of the study was to evaluate previous exposure to online learning and preference for learning through pre-recorded online lectures with or without live active learning among pharmacy students in their fifth year.

Mapping the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmacy graduate students’ wellness

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant changes in pharmacy graduate students' (PhGS) lives. While pharmacy graduate programs across the U.S. have reported adjustments due to the pandemic, there is currently no data on the PhGS’ wellness, and the impact on and extent to which offered supports and guidance has met PhGS needs.ObjectiveThis study's objectives were 1) to explore PhGS′ perspectives on their challenges and the impact of these challenges on their wellness, and 2) to identify PhGS′ suggestions for pharmacy graduate programs to improve guidance and support offered during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThis study conducted semi-structured interviews based on the Objective, Reflective, Interpretative, Decisional (ORID) methodology. Pharmacy students working on completing a PhD in programs across the United States were invited to participate. All interviews were conducted using the Zoom platform between May and June 2020. Digital audio recordings were auto transcribed using the Trint platform. Thematic analysis was conducted using the six-dimensional model of wellness developed by Hettler as a guide, while open coding of the PhGS’ suggestions was conducted inductively.ResultsThirteen PhGS across six universities in the U.S. were interviewed. During the pandemic, all six dimensions of the Wellness model were found to be challenged for PhGS. PhGS′ challenges differed based on their laboratory-based vs. non-laboratory-based research settings. International PhGS reported differing challenges from domestic PhGS. PhGS also provided 18 practical suggestions for improving the teaching process and facilitating student's academic growth in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.ConclusionsDespite the COVID-19 pandemic, graduate programs should continue developing a robust and tailored system to encourage and maintain mentorship programs to facilitate graduate students’ successful path through their doctoral studies. Moreover, the suggestions offered by the PhGS participants in this study, when appropriately implemented, can also position graduate program success post-pandemic.     

Pharmaceutical companies’ views on a health technology assessment (HTA) entity in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is undergoing a massive healthcare transformation to fulfill its new, national “Vision 2030.” To align with this objective, Saudi Arabia is establishing a new, independent and evidence-based health technology assessment (HTA) entity to help it maximize health gains through efficient use of resources. This study was designed to ascertain how pharmaceutical companies perceive the creation of such a national HTA entity in Saudi Arabia; what they think about it and expect from it. To achieve the study’s aim, we held a workshop in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, lasting four and a half hours and hosted by the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH). We invited 16 market access directors and managers from different multinational pharmaceutical companies to discuss the establishment of a national HTA entity. The findings from the workshop were structured around three axes: vision and remit; HTA method; and implementation and practical considerations. Overall, the pharmaceutical company participants were positive about HTA’s value for the Saudi healthcare system and expressed willingness to adapt to meet its future requirements.     

Patients’ perception,views and satisfaction with pharmacists’ role as health care provider in community pharmacy setting at Riyadh,Saudi Arabia

Objectives

This study will provide guiding information about the population perception, views and satisfaction with pharmacist’s performance as health care provider in the community pharmacy setting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Method

The study was conducted in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from July through December 2010. A total of 125 community pharmacies in Riyadh city were randomly selected according to their geographical distribution (north, south, east, and west). They represent about 10–15% of all community pharmacies in the city. The questionnaire composed of 8 items about patients’ views and satisfaction with the pharmacists’ role in the current community pharmacy practice. The questionnaire was coded, checked for accuracy and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17.0 for Windows (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois).

Results

The response rate was almost 85% where 2000 patients were approached and 1699 of them responded to our questionnaire. The majority of respondents is young adults and adults (82.8%), male (67.5%) and married (66.9%). Seventy one percent of respondents assured that community pharmacist is available in the working while only 37.3% of respondents perceived the pharmacist as a mere vendor. About 38% assured sou moto counseling by the pharmacist, 35% reported pharmacist plays an active role in their compliances to treatments, 43% acknowledged the role of pharmacist in solving medication related problems, 34% considered the pharmacist as a health awareness provider and 44.6% felt that pharmacist is indispensable and an effective part of the health care system.

Conclusion

The image and professional performance of community pharmacist are improving in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi patients show better satisfaction, perception and appreciation of the pharmacists’ role in the health care team. However, extra efforts should be paid to improve the clinical skills of the community pharmacists. Community pharmacists need to be able to reach out to patient, assess their hesitations and promptly offer solution which was appreciated by the patients as the survey indicates. They should play a pro-active role in becoming an effective and indispensable part of health care. Furthermore, they should be able to advice, guide, direct and persuade the patient to comply correct usage of drugs. Finally, community pharmacists should equip themselves with appropriate knowledge and competencies in order to tender efficient and outstanding pharmaceutical health care.     

Quō vādis? Short-term medical missions in a globalized world and the role of pharmacy

Short-term medical missions (STMMs) have evolved in the past few decades to provide non-emergent care including routine and follow-up primary care for acute and chronic conditions, along with treatment of neglected tropical diseases. Many STMMs operate outside the local health care infrastructure and may have limited local partnerships. STMM outcomes in improving local population health are often inferred but not well documented. Concerns such as ethical conduct, provider bias, and lack of adequate training and preparation continue to be raised. When disruptions occur (e.g., the COVID-19 pandemic), STMMs need to develop and prepare for challenges such as the inability to travel and provide care. Pharmacists as health professionals play a unique role when volunteering in STMMs. However, pharmacists’ roles in STMMs need further development along with a framework to guide STMM work. Often driven by a few dynamic individuals, STMMs need to be aware of local geo-socio-political issues and develop local partnerships toward a meaningful legacy of building sustaining, long-lasting systems that will continue to serve others beyond the life of the STMMs and their founders.     

Community pharmacy technicians’ engagement in the delivery of brief tobacco cessation interventions: Results of a randomized trial

BackgroundIn recent years, the role of community pharmacy technicians has expanded to include involvement in the provision of brief tobacco cessation interventions. While technicians appear to be a key component in this service, their level of engagement and associated perceptions of this new role have not been described.ObjectiveTo compare pharmacy technicians’ frequency of involvement in brief tobacco cessation interventions delivered in a community pharmacy setting, as a function of training approach, and to characterize their perceptions of this expanded role, including barriers to implementation.MethodsTwenty California-based grocery store chain pharmacies were randomized to receive (a) written training materials-only [minimal] or (b) written training materials plus live training with coaching and active monitoring by pharmacy management [intensive]. After written materials were distributed to the sites, tobacco cessation interventions were documented prospectively for 12 weeks post-training.ResultsOver the 12-week study, technicians (n = 50) documented their involvement in 524 interventions (57.7% of 908 total), with the minimal group accounting for 56.1% and the intensive group accounting for 43.9% (p < 0.001). The number of individual technicians who reported at least one intervention was 16 (of 26; 61.5%) in the minimal group and 24 (of 24; 100%) in the intensive group (p < 0.001). At the conclusion of the study, 100% of technicians in the intensive group self-rated their ability to interact with patients about quitting smoking as good, very good, or excellent compared to 73.9% in the minimal group (p = 0.10).ConclusionIn both study arms, technicians documented high numbers of tobacco cessation interventions. The higher proportion of technicians providing one or more interventions in the intensive group suggests a greater overall engagement in the process, relative to those receiving minimal training. Technicians can play a key role in the delivery of tobacco cessation interventions in community pharmacies.