Patients Satisfaction with Pharmaceutical Care and Associated Factors in the Southwestern Ethiopia

Clients' knowledge and satisfaction with outpatient pharmacy services and associated factors at Felege Hiwot comprehensive specialized hospital, Ethiopia: A cross-sectional study

Objective

This study aimed to assess patient knowledge and satisfaction and associated factors with outpatient pharmacy service at Felege Hiwot comprehensive specialized hospital.

Design setting and participants

An institution-based cross-sectional study was conducted at Felege Hiwot comprehensive specialized hospital on patients getting outpatient Pharmacy service from 01 March 2022 to 30 May 2022. The study participants were selected by simple random sampling method.

Main outcome measured

Patients' knowledge and satisfaction with pharmacy service was measured by a structured questionnaire and Data were collected, cleared, and coded, then entered into EPI Info (Epidemiological information. version 7.1.5.2) and analyzed using SPSS (version 25).

Results

The overall knowledge result of the respondents showed that only 13.3% of individuals have good drug knowledge and 72.01% of respondents were satisfied with the outpatient pharmacy service. Following up on the multivariate analysis of service modality patients by credit (AOR: 5.50 (1.71-17.74), who are with the occupation of merchants (AOR: 0.09 (0.01-0.83)) and labeling (AOR: 3.13 (1.58-6.20) had an association with drug knowledge. Multivariate analysis showed that waiting time, dispensing time and privacy had an association with satisfaction. When we consider waiting time; respondents with 3-6 min, 6.1-9 min and >9 min waiting times are 0.06 times, 0.02 times, and 0.01 less likely satisfied compared with respondents having waiting time <3 min. It shows that as the patient stays without getting serviced for a long time, satisfaction decreases.

Conclusions

Overall, around three-fourths of the respondents were satisfied with the outpatient pharmacy services which is approaching the national satisfaction assessment result. Respondents were strongly satisfied with Dose, route, frequency, and duration. However, they were strongly dissatisfied with the name of the drug. After the multivariate analysis privacy, waiting time, and dispensing time had an association with patient satisfaction.

Knowledge and Perceptions of Final-Year Nursing Students Regarding Antimicrobials, Antimicrobial Resistance, and Antimicrobial Stewardship in South Africa: Findings and Implications to Reduce Resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is being increasingly seen as the next pandemic due to high morbidity and mortality rates, with Sub-Saharan Africa currently having the highest mortality rates driven by high rates of inappropriate prescribing in ambulatory care. In South Africa, nurses typically provide a range of services, including prescribing, in public ambulatory care clinics. However, little is currently known about the perception of final-year nursing students regarding antibiotic use, AMR, and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). Consequently, we sought to address this important evidence gap. A quantitative descriptive study using a self-administered online questionnaire via Google Forms® was undertaken among six universities in South Africa offering a Baccalaureus of Nursing. Knowledge on the classes of antibiotics, organisms covered, and mechanism of action was lacking. The sample size to achieve a confidence interval of 95% with a 5% error margin was 174, increased to 200 to compensate for possible attrition. Only 15.3% of nurses knew that ceftazidime is not a fourth-generation cephalosporin, and only 16.1% knew that clavulanic acid does not decrease inflammation at the site of infection. In addition, only 58.9% and 67.7% agreed that the prescribing of broad-spectrum antibiotics and poor infection control, respectively, increase AMR. AMS was also not a well-known concept among final-year nurses. The lack of knowledge regarding antibiotics, AMR, and AMS among final-year nurses could have important repercussions in practice once these nurses are qualified. Consequently, this information gap needs to be urgently addressed going forward with updated curricula and post-qualification educational activities to reduce AMR in South Africa.

A Multicenter Cross-Sectional Survey of Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Healthcare Professionals towards Antimicrobial Stewardship in Ghana: Findings and Implications

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs are part of the key activities that contribute to reducing antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Good knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among healthcare professionals (HCPs) are essential to improving future antimicrobial use and reducing AMR, which is a priority in Ghana. A multicenter cross-sectional survey was conducted in six public hospitals in Ghana among key HCPs to assess their level of KAP towards AMS using a validated self-administered electronic questionnaire. Data analyses included descriptive and inferential statistics using STATA version 14. Overall, 339 out of 355 HCPs responded to the questionnaire, giving a response rate of 95.5%. Most responders were nurses (n = 256, 78.2%), followed by medical doctors (n = 45, 13.3%). The study recorded both poor knowledge (8.9%) and practice levels (35.4%), as well as a good attitude (78.8%) towards AMS. Ongoing exposure to AMS structured training, exposure to continuous professional development training on AMS in the previous year, and the number of years of working experience were predictors of the HCPs' level of knowledge (aOR = 3.02 C.I = 1.12-8.11), attitude (aOR = 0.37 C.I = 0.20-0.69) and practice (aOR = 2.09 C.I =1.09-3.99), respectively. Consequently, concentrated efforts must be made to address current low levels of knowledge and poor practices regarding AMS among HCPs in Ghana as part of ongoing strategies in the National Action Plan to reduce AMR.

An Assessment of Outpatient Satisfaction with Hospital Pharmacy Quality and Influential Factors in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The study aims to evaluate outpatient satisfaction (OS) with health insurance drug dispensing at the central hospital in Vietnam and to explore the influential factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on adult outpatients via an adjusted SERVQUAL questionnaire. The questionnaire's internal consistency (Cronbach alpha) and construct validity (exploratory factor analysis) were considered. The difference between groups was solved using a t-test or ANOVA-test. The multiple-regression analysis determined the influence levels of each factor. A p-value less than 0.05 was statistically significant. A total of 210 participants participated, with most being over 55 years old, female, with a high school education, and freelancers. The mean general satisfaction score was 3.42 (SD = 0.79). The reliability obtained the highest satisfaction score, and the guarantee was the lowest. The final questionnaire, including five factors (reliability, responsiveness, assurance, sympathy, and tangible) with 26 observational variables, had an internal consistency reliability and construct validity. These five factors had a statistically significant correlation and influence on the general satisfaction of the outpatients. The reliability factor had the strongest influence, and assurance had the weakest. Training staff about communication, counseling, and consolidating the facilities are the core solutions for increasing OS.