Community pharmacy in Lebanon: A societal perspective
Main Article Content
Keywords
Community Pharmacy Services, Patient Satisfaction, Pharmacies, Professional Practice, Pharmacists, Surveys and Questionnaires, Lebanon
Abstract
Objective: To assess patients' attitudes towards the community pharmacist's role and determine their negative and positive reactions towards community pharmacists in Lebanon.
Methods: A cross-sectional study, conducted between January and April 2016, was designed to assess the general public satisfaction with the services provided by the community pharmacies. It was carried out, using a proportionate random sampling of Lebanese community pharmacies from each district. Two sided statistical tests were used to compare between group percentages, Wilcoxon test for quantitative variables with non-homogeneous variances or non-normal distribution, and Student’s t-test for quantitative variables of normal distribution and homogeneous variances. The ANOVA test was used to compare between three groups or more, and Pearson correlation coefficient were used to correlate between quantitative variables.
Results: a total of 565 participants completely answered the survey questions with a response rate of 94%. The bivariate analysis showed that the patient perception index was positively and significantly correlated with the patient level of expectation index, the overall pharmacy experience and the patient’s reason for visiting the pharmacy (p<0.001 for all 3 variables) but was negatively correlated with the barriers for asking questions significantly (p=0.032). On the other hand, this perception index was significantly and positively associated with the number of pharmacy visits, the age categories, the level of education and the family monthly income (p<0.05 for all variables).
Conclusion: Public perception and attitude toward community pharmacist in Lebanon is poor despite highly qualified pharmacists. Aspects of pharmacy services most relevant to patients were respect, empathy, a friendly staff, listening carefully, giving quality time, responding quickly to their needs and respecting their privacy. The ministry of Health in Lebanon, along with the Lebanese Order of Pharmacists should educate the pharmacist about working on the different issues patients are complaining about in order to play a more important role in the society and become the number one trusted health care professional.
References
2. American Pharmacist Association (1998). ASHP Statement on Pharmaceutical Care. Medication Therapy and Patient Care: Organization and Delivery of Services-Statements. Available at: http://www.ashp.org/doclibrary/bestpractices/orgstpharmcare.aspx (accessed 26-Nov-2016).
3. Guirguis LM, Chewning BA. Role theory: literature review and implications for patient-pharmacist interactions. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2005;1(4):483-507. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2005.09.006
4. Benner J, Beardsley R; American Pharmaceutical Association Academy of Students of Pharmacy; American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy; Council of Deans Task Force on Professionalism. White paper on pharmacy student professionalism. J Am Pharm Assoc (Wash). 2000;40(1):96-102.
5. Stewart DC, George J, Bond CM, Cunningham IT, Diack HL, McCaig DJ. Exploring patients' perspectives of pharmacist supplementary prescribing in Scotland. Pharm World Sci. 2008;30(6):892-897. doi: 10.1007/s11096-008-9248-x
6. American Pharmacist Association (2007). Oath of a Pharmacist. Available at: https://www.pharmacist.com/oath-pharmacist (accessed 26-Nov-2016).
7. Tarn DM, Paterniti DA, Wenger NS, Williams BR, Chewning BA. Older patient, physician and pharmacist perspectives about community pharmacists' roles. Int J Pharm Pract. 2012;20(5):285-293. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-7174.2012.00202.x
8. Al-Arifi MN. Patients' perception, views and satisfaction with pharmacists' role as health care provider in community pharmacy setting at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Saudi Pharm J. 2012;20(4):323-330. doi: 10.1016/j.jsps.2012.05.007
9. Al-Wazaify M, Matowe L, Albsoul-Younes A, Al-Omran OA. Pharmacy education in Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait. Am J Pharm Educ. 2006;70(1):18.
10. Briesacher B, Corey R. Patient satisfaction with pharmaceutical services at independent and chain pharmacies.. Am J Health-Syst Pharm. 1997;54(5):531-536.
11. Catic T, Jusufovic FI, Tabakovic V. Patients perception of community pharmacist in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mater Sociomed. 2013;25(3):206-209. doi: 10.5455/msm.2013.25.206-209
12. Cavaco AM, Dias JP, Bates IP. Consumers' perceptions of community pharmacy in Portugal: a qualitative exploratory study. Pharm World Sci. 2005;27(1):54-60.
13. Rayes IK, Hassali MA, Abduelkarem AR. A qualitative study exploring public perceptions on the role of community pharmacists in Dubai. Pharm Pract (Granada). 2014;12(1):363.
14. El Hajj M, Mansoor H. Public’s attitudes towards community pharmacy in Qatar: a pilot study. Patient Prefer Adherence. 2011;5:405-422. doi: 10.2147/PPA.S22117
15. Wirth F, Tabone F, Azzopardi LM, Gauci M, Zarb‐Adami M, Serracino‐Inglott A. Consumer perception of the community pharmacist and community pharmacy services in Malta. J Pharm Health Serv Res. 2010;1(4):189-194. doi: 10.1111/j.1759-8893.2010.00034.x
16. Anderson C. Health promotion by community pharmacists: consumers' views. Int J Pharm Pract. 1998;6(1):2-12. doi: 10.1111/j.2042-7174.1998.tb00910.x
17. Bell HM, McElnay JC, Hughes CM, Gleadhill I. Primary schoolteachers' knowledge of asthma: the impact of pharmacist intervention. J Asthma. 2000;37(7):545-555.
18. Bornman S, Truter I, Venter DJ. Public perception of community pharmacists in South Africa: a preliminary study: research. Health SA Gesondheid. 2006;11(3):27-40.
19. Ibrahim IR, Al Tukmagi HF, Wayyes A. Attitudes of Iraqi society towards the role of community pharmacists. Innovations in Pharmacy. 2013;4(2):114.
20. Matowe L, Al-Kandery AS, Bihzad SM.. Pharmacy in Kuwait. Am J Health Syst Pharm. 2003 Aug 1;60(15):1591-1592.
21. Ried LD, Wang F, Young H, Awiphan R. Patients' satisfaction and their perception of the pharmacist. J Am Pharm Assoc (Wash). 1999 8;39(6):835-842.
22. Oritz M, Liden D, Thomas R, Morgan G, Morland R. The impact of professional services on pharmacy patronage: findings of a pharmacy practice foundation survey (Part 6). Aust J Pharm. 1987;68:207-214.
23. Kamei M, Teshima K, Fukushima N, Nakamura T. Investigation of patients' demand for community pharmacies: relationship between pharmacy services and patient satisfaction. Yakugaku Zasshi. 2001;121(3):215-220.
24. Nakayama C, Oshima T, Kato A, Nishii M, Kamimura T, Nitta A, Yamaguchi M. Questionnaire survey on patient satisfaction at community pharmacies. Science Postprint 2014;1(1): e00012. doi: 10.14340/spp.2014.01A0001
25. Khdour MR, Hallak HO. Societal perspectives on community pharmacy services in West Bank - Palestine. Pharm Pract (Granada). 2012;10(1):17-24.
26. Patwardhan PD, Amin ME, Chewning BA. Intervention research to enhance community pharmacists' cognitive services: a systematic review. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2014;10(3):475-493. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2013.07.005
27. Larson LN, Rovers JP, MacKeigan LD. Patient satisfaction with pharmaceutical care: update of a validated instrument. J Am Pharm Assoc (Wash). 2002;42(1):44-50.
28. Leland K, Bailey K. Customer service for dummies. New York: John Wiley & Sons; 2011.
29. Parasuraman A, Zeithaml VA, Berry LL. SERVQUAL: a multiple-item scale for measuring consumer perceptions of service quality. J Retailing. 1998;64(1):15-40.
30. Zeenny R. Forecasting the future of pharmacy in Lebanon: The Magic of Numbers. Conference of The Lebanese Order of Pharmacists. Pharmacy Day 2016; Lebanon, 2016.
31. Centers for disease control and prevention (2016). Epi info 7. Available at: http://wwwn.cdc.gov/epiinfo/7/index.htm (accessed 26-Nov-2016).
32. Yang S, Kim D, Choi HJ, Chang MJ. A comparison of patients' and pharmacists' satisfaction with medication counseling provided by community pharmacies: a cross-sectional survey. BMC Health Serv Res. 2016;16:131. doi: 10.1186/s12913-016-1374-x
33. Huang SW. The Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1990: redefining pharmacists' legal responsibilities. Am J Law Med. 1998;24(4):417-442.
34. Oparah AC, Kikanme LC. Consumer satisfaction with community pharmacies in Warri, Nigeria. Res Social Adm Pharm. 2006;2(4):499-511. doi: 10.1016/j.sapharm.2006.02.004
35. Lee S, Godwin OP, Kim K, Lee E. Predictive factors of patient satisfaction with pharmacy services in South Korea: A cross-sectional study of national level data. PLoS One. 2015;10(11):e0142269. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142269
36. Castellano AG, Moreira LB, Kaimoto T, Moreira H. [Socioeconomic aspects in patients with refractive disorder]. Arq Bras Oftalmol. 1999;62(6):697-700.
37. Hercos BVS, Berezovsky A. [Quality of the ophthalmologic service provided to outpatients of the Unified Health System-SUS]. Arq Bras Oftalmol. 2006;69(2):213-219.
38. Benazzi LEB, Figueiredo ACL, Bassani DG. [Evaluation of the user about the ophthalmologic care offered by the SUS in an urban center in the south of Brazil]. Cien Saude Colet. 2010;15(3):861-868.
39. Dewulf NdLS, Monteiro RA, Passos ADC, Vieira EM, Troncon L. [Adherence to drug treatment in patients with chronic gastrointestinal diseases accompanied at the outpatient clinic of a university hospital]. Rev Bras Cienc Farm. 2006;42(4):575-584. doi: 10.1590/S1516-93322006000400013
40. Xu KT. Choice of and overall satisfaction with pharmacies among a community-dwelling elderly population. Med Care. 2002;40(12):1283-1293. doi: 10.1097/01.MLR.0000036411.91560.30
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 Unported License.