Patient Care Indicators Related To Drug Dispensing At Public and Private Pharmacies In Thatta Sindh, Pakistan: A Cross Sectional Study
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Keywords
Patient Care, Drug Dispensing, Pharmacies
Abstract
Introduction: Optimal dispensing practices improvise significant role in rational use of medicines ensuring that patient received prescribed medicines with proper labeling, counseling and appropriate directions. World Health Organization identifies Patient care indicator to estimate the quality of dispensing practices. In evolving countries particularly in Pakistan, these indicators are suboptimal. Current study assists Patient Care indicators in Public and Private Pharmacies of District Thatta.
Methodology: A cross sectional study was conducted. Convenient sampling technique was utilized with selection of four public and four private pharmacies. Total sample size was (n=240). To assess the pharmaceutical practices, structured World Health Organization questionnaire was utilized and thirty respondents from said facility were questioned. Data was analyzed in SPSS 16.0.
Results: Patient care indicator assessment reflected average dispensing time in public pharmacies was 15.1 seconds and in private pharmacies it was 35.1 seconds. 32.2% and 38.8% medicines adequately were labeled in public pharmacies and private pharmacies respectively. 38.3 % of people had knowledge of taking medicines in public pharmacies and 56.7 % in private pharmacies. Number of medicines prescribed per prescription was 3.1% in public pharmacies and percentage of medicines actually dispensed in public pharmacies was 80.1%.
Conclusion: The patient care indicators were assessed and the pharmaceutical practices at dispensing counters of the pharmacies were evaluated. Each indicator was found to be suboptimal in Sindh reflecting that practices were not according to World Health Organization standards. Laws exist but due to lack of governance and hiring of untrained personnel, its implications were deprived. The hiring and training of pharmacist with strict implications of policies are in utmost need in collaboration with patient counseling which increase the treatment adherence and promote the rational use of medicines. Strict improvisation of essential drug list, hospital formulary and standard treatment guidelines is needed at health facilities and private pharmacies to reduce irrational use of medicines.
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Asif Ali Soomro
Lecturer College of Pharmacy, Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences, Jamshoro, Pakistan.
Shahkamal Hashmi
Principal, College of Public Health Ziauddin University
Syed Zohaib Hussain
Associate Professor, Department of Pharmacy Nazeer Hussain University Karachi
Syed Shafqat Ali Shah
Lecturer, Department of Pharmacology, Bilawal Medical College, LUMHS, Jamshoro
Ahsan Ali Memon
Assistant Professor, College of Pharmacy Liaquat University 0f Medical and Health Sciences Jamshoro
Ayaz Ali Unar
Institute Of Pharmacy, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University, Larkana.
Komal Zaman Khan
Lecturer, College of Pharmacy, Liaquat University of Medical And Health Sciences Jamshoro
Abdul Razzaque Nohri
Senior Pharmacist, Health Department, Government of Sindh, Pakistan