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Harnett JE, Desselle SP, Fernandes MB, Yao D, Modun D, Hallit S, Dabbous M, Wahab MSA, Cavaco AM, Magalhães M, Faller EM, Flores JM, Gabriel JRDS, Othman N, Anantachoti P, Sriboonruang T, Sriviriyanupap W, Alnezary F, Alahmadi Y, Fallatah SB, Fadil HA, Ung COL. Defining and supporting a professional role for pharmacists associated with traditional and complementary medicines: a cross-country survey of pharmacists. Front Pharmacol 2023; 14:1215475. [PMID: 37654614 PMCID: PMC10467277 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2023.1215475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: An estimated 80% of the world's population use traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) products as part of their healthcare, with many accessed through pharmacy. This cross-cultural study posed a set of professional practice responsibilities and actions to pharmacists related to T&CM products, with a view toward developing consensus, safeguarding, and promoting the health of the public. Methods: Data were collected from 2,810 pharmacists across nine countries during 2022 via a cross-sectional online survey reported in accordance with the guidelines of STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) and the Checklist for Reporting Results of Internet E-Surveys (CHERRIES). Results: Of the 2,810 participants from nine countries, 2,341 completed all sections of the survey. Of these, most agreed (69%) that T&CM product use was common in the community they served, but most did not have adequate training to support consumer needs. Over 75% acknowledged that there were known and unknown safety risks associated with T&CM use. Of 18 professional responsibilities posed, 92% agreed that pharmacists should be able to inform consumers about potential risks, including T&CM side effects and drug-herb interactions. The provision of accurate scientific information on the effectiveness of T&CM products, skills to guide consumers in making informed decisions, and communication with other healthcare professionals to support appropriate and safe T&CM product use were all ranked with high levels of agreement. In order to effectively fulfill these responsibilities, pharmacists agreed that regulatory reforms, development of T&CM education and training, and access to quality products supported by high-quality evidence were needed. Conclusion: General agreement from across nine countries on eighteen professional responsibilities and several stakeholder actions serve as a foundation for the discussion and development of international T&CM guidelines for pharmacists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna E. Harnett
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Shane P. Desselle
- Touro University California College of Pharmacy, Vallejo, CA, United States
| | - Marcília Baticy Fernandes
- Departamento de Ciências da Saúde, Ambiente e Tecnologias, Universidade de Santiago, Assomada, Cabo Verde
| | - Dongning Yao
- School of Pharmacy, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Darko Modun
- Department of Pharmacy, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
| | - Souheil Hallit
- School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Jounieh, Lebanon
- Applied Science Research Center, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan
- Research Department, Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Jal Eddib, Lebanon
| | - Mariam Dabbous
- School of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Mohd Shahezwan Abd Wahab
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Cawangan Selangor, Selangor, Malaysia
- Non-Destructive Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Centre, Smart Manufacturing Research Institute, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Cawangan Selangor, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Afonso Miguel Cavaco
- Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Farmácia Farmacologia e Tecnologias em Saúde, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Maria Magalhães
- Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Farmácia, Departamento de Farmácia Farmacologia e Tecnologias em Saúde, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Erwin Martinez Faller
- Pharmacy Department, School of Allied Health Sciences, San Pedro College, Davao City, Philippines
| | | | | | - Noordin Othman
- Clinical and Hospital Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia
- School of Pharmacy, Management and Science University, University Drive, Off Persiaran Olahraga, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Puree Anantachoti
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Tatta Sriboonruang
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Faris Alnezary
- Clinical and Hospital Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Yaser Alahmadi
- Clinical and Hospital Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Saad Bakur Fallatah
- Clinical and Hospital Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Haifa Abdulrahman Fadil
- Clinical and Hospital Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Carolina Oi Lam Ung
- State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Taipa, Macao, China
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Mwaka AD, Mangi SP, Okuku FM. Use of traditional and complementary medicines by cancer patients at a national cancer referral facility in a low-income country. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 2019; 28:e13158. [PMID: 31441575 DOI: 10.1111/ecc.13158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Revised: 03/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to describe use of traditional and complementary medicines (T&CM) and associated factors among patients with cancer. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study at the Uganda Cancer Institute (UCI) involving patients with selected solid tumours. Independent variables included age, sex, marital status, cancer site and stage. Main outcome variables were use and disclosure of use of T&CM. RESULTS The majority of participants were women (n = 352; 81.9%). Breast cancer (n = 312; 71.9%) was the predominant cancer type. 55.4% of participants (n = 240) self-reported use of T&CM. Among them, 68.3% (140/205) reported using them to treat/cure cancer, 35.6% (72/202) for strengthening the immune system and 31.2% (63/202) for management of pain. Patients with advanced stage cancers were more likely to be users compared with those in stage one. The majority (81.9%, 195/238) of T&CM users did not disclose use to their healthcare professionals. The main reasons for nondisclosure included lack of inquiry by clinicians (79.6%, 117/147) and fear of disapproval and/or rebuke (11.6%, 17/147). CONCLUSION Use of T&CM by patients with cancer under biomedical care is common but often undisclosed to the healthcare professionals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amos Deogratius Mwaka
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.,Cancer Awareness and Early Detection Coalition (CAEDCO), Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sabina Patrick Mangi
- Department of Medicine, St. Francis Hospital Nsambya, Kampala, Uganda.,Tosamaganga Council Designated Hospital, Iringa, Tanzania
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