Pharmacists' Knowledge and Practice of Issues Related to Using Psychotropic Medication in Elderly People in Ethiopia: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose

This study is aimed at assessing pharmacists' knowledge and practice of issue related to usage of psychotropic medications in elderly people, in Gondar town Northwest, Ethiopia.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among pharmacists working in community, health center, and hospital pharmacies in Gondar town from March 1 to May 30, 2020. A total of 73 medication retail outlets (40 pharmacies and 33 drug stores) were included in this study. Pharmacy personnel's knowledge and practice were assessed using self-administered validated questionnaires. Binary and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between different variables. P < 0.05 was used to declare the association.

Result

A total of 144 pharmacists were included in the study; the mean age was 30.13 (SD ±5.87), ranging from 20 to 55years. The mean knowledge score was 7.789 (SD ±2.98), and 75 (52.1%) of them had poor knowledge. The mean practice score was 2.32 ± 0.912 (mean ± SD), and 77 (53.5%) of the respondents had poor practice. All participants had not taken on-the-job training about psychotropic medication. Work experience (P < 0.029) and personal monthly income (P < 0.046) were significantly associated with pharmacists' knowledge. There was a significant association between work experience and practice level (P < 0.043).

Conclusion

The knowledge and practice of pharmacy personnel were low for issues related to the use of psychotropic medication in the elderly. This result indicates the need for training for pharmacists on pharmacotherapy of psychotropic medication.

Assessment of Knowledge and Attitude among Pharmacists toward Pharmaceutical Care in Eastern Ethiopia

Objective

To assess knowledge and attitudes toward pharmaceutical care service among hospital and community pharmacists working in Harar and Dire Dawa town, Eastern Ethiopia.

Method

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among pharmacists working in hospital and community pharmacies, 2018. A total of 43 health settings (6 hospital and 37 community pharmacies) were involved in this study. All pharmacists who met the inclusion criteria were selected using a purposive sampling technique to take part in the study. The pretested structured self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data. The collected data was coded, entered, and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0. The findings were presented by frequencies and percentages, and summary measures were displayed using tables. Chi-Square test and Fisher's exact test were performed to determine the association between sociodemographic characteristics and the level of knowledge and attitude about pharmaceutical care. The study protocol was approved by the Harar Health Sciences College Research Ethics Review Committee.

Results

A total of seventy-eight pharmacists were included in the study with a response rate of 97.5%. The mean age (±Standard Deviation (SD)) of the study participants was 32.47 ± 7.42 years, and the majority (88.3%) of the respondents were males. 56.4% of the respondents were working in the hospitals while 43.6% were working in community pharmacy. Overall, 85.9% of the respondents had good knowledge of pharmaceutical care. The types of training curriculum of the participants showed an association with the attitude of pharmacists (P value = 0.022). Similarly, pharmacists' knowledge was associated with their practice setting (P value = 0.022). Similarly, pharmacists' knowledge was associated with their practice setting (

Conclusion

The majority of pharmacists are knowledgeable about PC. However, nearly half of the pharmacists had an unfavorable attitude toward pharmaceutical care. Harari Regional and Dire Dawa City Health Bureaus should organize and provide in-service training on pharmaceutical care to pharmacists working in community and hospital pharmacies. Furthermore, the bureaus should advocate pharmaceutical care as one area in a continuous professional development program.