Pharmaceutical Care Within Community Pharmacies: Tools Availability and Pharmacists’ Views, Wad-Medani, Sudan

Figures & data

Table 1 Demographic Characteristics

Items	Category	Number	%
Pharmacy group	Marketplaces	44	37%
	Near homes	76	63%
Sex	Female	76	63%
	Male	44	37%
Age	21 to 30	72	60%
	31 to 40	27	23%
	41 to 50	14	12%
	51 to 60	4	4%
	61 to 70	2	2%
Permanent registration	Available	92	77%
Experience in community pharmacy practice (in years).	1 to 10	89	74%
	11 to 20	17	14%
	21 to 30	4	3%
	31 to 40	4	3%
	Less than One year	6	5%
Professional, scientific degrees	Bachelor	110	92%
	MSc	9	8%
	PhD	1	1%

Table 2 Tools Availability

Component	Items	N^a (%)	N^b (%)
Pharmaceutical care signs	Separate counseling area availability.	4 (3%)	4 (3%)
	Availability of patient’s pharmacy records	6 (5%)	6 (5%)
	Pharmacists identified among staff members (lab coat and separate area).	4 (3%)	4 (3%)
	Pharmacy phone number availability	18 (15%)	18 (15%)
	Total average		8 (7%)
Medical Devices for Pharmaceutical Care Services Provision	Glucometer	5 (4%)	5 (4%)
	Sphygmomanometer	5 (4%)	5 (4%)
	Weight balance device	30 (25%)	30 (25%)
	Torch	5 (4%)	5 (4%)
	Body temperature thermometer	1 (1%)	1 (1%)
	None of these devices	81 (68%)	0 (0%)
	Total average		46 (38%)
Staff members	Pharmacist	120 (100%)	120 (100%)
	Assistant	66 (55%)	66 (55%)
	Technician	5 (4%)	5 (4%)
	Cleaning worker	30 (25%)	30 (25%)
	Pre-graduate trainee	9 (8%)	9 (8%)
	Counter	2 (2%)	2 (2%)
	Cashier	7 (6%)	7 (6%)
	Total average		34 (29%)
Overall availability	Total availability average		29 (25%)

Note: N^a, number of pharmacies. N^b, The availability number.

Table 3 Staff Members’ Categories

N= 7*120= 840. Count of Staff Investigated= 7.	n (%)	n^a	n^b (%)
Pharmacist	41 (34%)	1	41(5.7%)
Pharmacist, Assistant	40 (33%)	2	80(11.1%)
Pharmacist, Assistant, Cashier	1 (1%)	3	3(0.4%)
Pharmacist, Assistant, Cashier, Cleaning worker, Pre-graduate trainee	1 (1%)	5	5(0.7%)
Pharmacist, Assistant, Cashier, Cleaning worker, Pre-graduate trainee, Counter	1 (1%)	6	6(0.8%)
Pharmacist, Assistant, Cashier, Pre-graduate trainee	2 (2%)	4	8(1.1%)
Pharmacist, Assistant, Cleaning worker	16 (13%)	3	48(6.7%)
Pharmacist, Assistant, Cleaning worker, Counter	1 (1%)	4	4(0.6%)
Pharmacist, Assistant, Cleaning worker, Pre-graduate trainee	1 (1%)	4	4(0.6%)
Pharmacist, Assistant, Pre-graduate trainee	1 (1%)	3	3(0.4%)
Pharmacist, Cashier	2 (2%)	2	4(0.6%)
Pharmacist, Cleaning worker	5 (4%)	2	10(1.4%)
Pharmacist, Cleaning worker, Pre-graduate trainee	2 (2%)	3	6(0.8%)
Pharmacist, Pre-graduate trainee	1 (1%)	2	2(0.3%)
Pharmacist, Technician	2 (2%)	2	4(0.6%)
Pharmacist, Technician, Assistant, Cleaning worker	2 (2%)	4	8(1.1%)
Pharmacist, Technician, Cleaning worker	1 (1%)	3	3(0.4%)
Total	120 (100%)	2 *	239 (29%)

Notes: N= number of virtually investigated staff members= 7 *n=840. n =Count of investigated pharmacies=120. n^a = the number of identified staff members. Average staff per pharmacy= 230/120=2. n^b = Total staff members identified per group category=n*n^a. 2*= The average staff number per pharmacy.

Table 4 Main Information Sources for Pharmacists

Component	Items	Number	%
Main information sources	Books and References.	30	25%
	Communication with another pharmacist	6	5%
	Drug Information Center (DIC) phone number	3	3%
	Leaflet inserted papers	9	8%
	Software database engines.	37	31%
	Websites through the internet.	35	29%

Table 5 Communication with Physicians Six Months Ago

Count and Percentages of	Pharmacy Group			N(%)
	Marketplaces		Near Homes
Communication with physicians six months ago.	No	23(19%)	25(21%)	48(40%)
	Yes	27(23%)	45(38%)	72(60%)
Total	50(42%)		70(58%)	120(100%)

Table 6 Five Points Likert Scale Measures Results

Ranges of Answers:
Strongly agree	4.3–5	Disagree			1.9–2.6
Agree	3.5–4.3	Strongly Disagree			1 to 1.8
Undecided	2.7–3.4
Variables		Frequencies of 5- Likert Scale Points.					Mean	SD*	%
		Strongly agree	Agree	Undecided	Disagree	Strongly disagree
Community pharmacists’ understanding of roles and responsibilities		542	441	50	41	6	4.36	0.73	87.27
Pharmacists’ confidence towards PhC services provision.		305	112	25	29	9	4.41	0.81	88.15
Pharmacists’ acceptance of community pharmacy redesigning.		170	62	4	3	1	4.43	0.62	88.60
Overall result							4.40	0.72	88.01

Abbreviation: *SD, standard deviation.