Revista internacional de investigación y desarrollo en farmacia y ciencias biológicas

Abstracto

Effect of community pharmacist education and training on medication dispensing and counseling

Lina Eltaib  

Background:

There is a great deal of concern surrounding the dispensing practices; a majority of studies indicated that the risk of dispensing errors was increasing.

 Objectives: To evaluate the effect of community pharmacist education and training on medication dispensing and counseling.

 Methods: The data were collected by the researchers with a designed pretested interview questionnaire. Shadowing enabled the researcher to understand the user's perspective.

 Results: Only 26% and 23% of the study participants had received training in the last three years. Only 3% of the participants work with supervision or help during their 8- to 12-hour shifts.

In total, 77% of the respondents agreed that clear self-checking routines were not implemented, and their main source of information was experienced.60% (n=167) of the respondents did not know the purpose of the specific medicine they had been prescribed. Only 16% of the participants received information regarding

their medications. All pharmacists dispensed thyroxin and multivitamins with iron- without a prescription or counseling.

 Conclusion: The study highlighted the need to offer continuing medical training programs for community pharmacists, focusing mainly on good dispensing practices and patient counseling.