Physicians’ perceptions, expectations, and experience with pharmacists at Hamad Medical Corporation in Qatar

Figures & data

Table 1 Description of physicians’ demographic information and interaction with pharmacists

Variable	Category	N (%)
Age (years)	≤35	34 (17)
	36–50	123 (60)
	≥51	33 (16)
	No response	13 (7)
Gender	Male	139 (68)
	Female	66 (32)
Nationality	Qatari	36 (18)
	Non-Qatari	169 (82)
Place of work	Specialized hospital	74 (36)
	General hospital	131 (64)
Current position	Junior registrar	21 (10)
	Senior registrar	67 (33)
	Consultant	41 (20)
	Others	76 (37)
Current area of practice	Medicine	108 (53)
	Surgery	13 (6)
	Pediatrics	34 (17)
	Others	50 (24)
Qualification year	Before 1980	26 (13)
	1981–1990	75 (37)
	1991–2000	78 (38)
	≥2001	26 (13)
Country qualification obtained	United States + Europe	35 (17)
	Egypt	74 (36)
	India + Pakistan	16 (8)
	Iraq	16 (8)
	Sudan	15 (7)
	Others	49 (24)
Frequency of interaction	Never/rarely	31 (15)
	Weekly	69 (34)
	Daily	105 (52)
Purpose of interaction	Drug availability	154 (75)
	Side affects	11 (5)
	Drug alternatives	10 (5)
	Drug dosage	3 (2)
	Drug interactions	6 (3)
	Others	21 (10)

Table 2 Physicians’ comfort with pharmacists

Pharmacists’ duties	N (%)
	Uncomfortable	Moderately comfortable	Comfortable	No response
Providing patient education	21 (10)	100 (49)	82 (40)	2 (1)
Suggesting use of nonprescription medications	50 (24)	79 (39)	73 (36)	3 (2)
Suggesting use of certain prescription medications to patients	113 (55)	50 (24)	40 (20)	2 (1)
Suggesting use of prescription medication to physicians	64 (31)	75 (37)	52 (25)	14 (7)
Treating minor illnesses	99 (48)	60 (29)	40 (20)	6 (3)
Detecting and preventing prescription errors	6 (3)	48 (23)	151 (44)	–
Designing and monitoring pharmacotherapeutic regimens	36 (18)	76 (37)	91 (44)	2 (1)
Monitoring outcomes of pharmacotherapeutic regimens and plans	25 (12)	88 (43)	85 (42)	7 (3)

Table 3 Physicians’ expectations of pharmacists

Physicians expectations	N (%)
	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly agree	No response
Pharmacists should take personal responsibility for resolving any drug-related problems they discover involving patients	22 (11)	48 (23)	36 (18)	62 (30)	36 (18)	1 (1)
Pharmacists should be knowledgeable drug-therapy experts	1 (1)	8 (4)	14 (7)	81 (40)	97 (47)	4 (2)
Pharmacists should assist me in designing drug therapy treatment plans for my patients	12 (6)	44 (22)	55 (27)	60 (29)	32 (16)	2 (1)
Pharmacists should educate my patients about the safe and appropriate use of their medication	2 (1)	3 (1)	10 (5)	83 (41)	100 (49)	7 (3)
Pharmacists should monitor my patients’ response to drug therapy and let me know if a patient encounters any drug-related problem	10 (5)	50 (24)	39 (19)	64 (31)	40 (20)	2 (1)
Pharmacists should know the specific indication of each drug I prescribe, even when drugs have more than one approved or recognized indication	4 (2)	18 (9)	47 (23)	78 (38)	58 (28)	–
Pharmacists should be available to me for consultation when I see patients	9 (4)	39 (19)	33 (16)	73 (36)	45 (22)	6 (3)
Pharmacists should assist my patients in selecting appropriate nonprescription medications	14 (7)	53 (26)	61 (30)	55 (27)	22 (11)	–

Table 4 Experience of physicians with pharmacists

Physicians’ experience	N (%)
	Strongly disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly agree	No response
Pharmacists are a reliable source of general drug information	3 (2)	9 (4)	53 (26)	108 (53)	32 (16)	–
Pharmacists are a reliable source of clinical drug information	5 (2)	32 (16)	60 (29)	87 (42)	21 (10)	–
Pharmacists routinely counsel my patients on the safe and appropriate use of their medications	12 (6)	47 (23)	71 (35)	60 (29)	14 (7)	1 (1)
Pharmacists routinely inform me if they discover clinical problems with my prescriptions	6 (3)	21 (10)	41 (20)	94 (45)	43 (21)	–
Pharmacists frequently inform me about more cost-effective alternatives to the drugs I prescribe	18 (9)	72 (35)	48 (23)	47 (23)	18 (9)	2 (1)
Pharmacists frequently ask me to clarify for them the drug therapy objectives I have in mind for my patients	19 (10)	71 (35)	58 (28)	42 (21)	14 (7)	1 (1)
Pharmacists frequently let me know that my patients have experienced some problem with their medication	21 (10)	84 (41)	53 (26)	31 (15)	14 (7)	2 (1)
Pharmacists appear willing to take personal responsibility for resolving any drug-related problems they discover	20 (10)	67 (33)	55 (27)	47 (23)	16 (8)	–

Table 5 Description of comfort, expectation, and experience indices of physicians with pharmacists

Index	Index level	%	Mean
Comfort	≤0	27	0.61
	0.1–1	44
	>1	29
Expectations	≤0	20	0.65
	0.1–1	55
	>1	25
Experience	≤0	49	0.15
	0.1–1	42
	>1	9