https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7235-1913
Abstract
Objective
The objectives of this research were to investigate pharmacy professionals’ counseling practices as well as to evaluate pharmacy professionals’ counseling skills and the content of counseling services provided to patients visiting medicine retail outlets.
Methods
A facility-based observational cross-sectional study was used to assess medication counseling practice by pharmacy professionals. Data were gathered through an observation and a semi-structured questionnaire. Epi data version 4.0.2 was used to enter data, which was subsequently exported to SPSS version 21.0 for analysis. ANOVA and post hoc statistical analyses were used to investigate the association between independent and dependent variables; and a 0.05 p-value was considered.
Results
This study has a total of 105 pharmacy professionals that were included in the analysis. The majority of those who responded were between the ages of 25 and 29. The most common drug information offered by pharmacy staff to patients was frequency of administration (90%), length of therapy (90%), and unit dose dispensed, according to the current study (86%). Pharmacy professionals’ age was significant on components of counseling practice as on mentioning the name of drugs during dispensing the medication (p=0.000), the route of administration (p=0.000), a drug dose (p=0.003), frequency of drug administration (p=0.016), proper medicine storage (p=0.024), type of dosage form (p=0.025), and duration of treatment (p=0.012). In comparison with the other age groups, an age greater than 40 years was significant on components of counseling practice (p=0.001) as a factor associated with penurious counseling practice than the other groups.
Conclusion
This study shows that counseling practice is still quite low in comparison to what is expected. Some of the issues that affect counseling include a high patient load, the lack of a private counseling room, a lack of updated drug knowledge, and a lack of experience were factors that influence counseling.
Abbreviations
ANOVA, Analysis of variance; WHO, World Health Organization; COVID-19, Coronavirus Disease 2019; SPSS, Statistical Package for the Social Sciences; CP, Clinical Pharmacy; EFDA, Ethiopian Food and Drug Administration.
Acknowledgment
We extended our gratitude to all individuals who were involved in data collection and also the participants who genuinely provided us with all necessary information.
Author Contributions
All authors made significant contributions to the work reported, whether in the conception, study design, execution, data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation, or all of these areas; actively participated in drafting, rewriting, or critically reviewing the article; gave final approval of the version to be published; agreed on the journal to which the article was submitted; and agreed on the final version to be published.
Disclosure
The authors declare that they have no competing interests.