Pharmacists’ Perception of the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) in Jordan: A Cross-Sectional Study (original) (raw)
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Role of Pharmacists in COVID-19 Disease: A Jordanian Perspective
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Objectives: The novel 2019 coronavirus outbreak that first appeared in Wuhan has quickly gained global attention, due to its high transmissibility and devastating clinical and economic outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the possible roles of Jordanian pharmacists in minimizing the stage of community transmission. Methods: A cross-sectional survey using Google forms targeting Jordanian pharmacists was conducted during March 2020 and distributed electronically by means of social media. Using the survey tool, we measured the pharmacists’ knowledge, the educative activities they perform, and their perceptions regarding undertaking traditional and untraditional roles during the COVID-19 outbreak, as specified by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). Collected data were analyzed using SPSS version-19. Results: Jordanian pharmacists (n = 449) reported performing various educative activities, and in general, they were knowledgeable about various aspects of the COVID-...
Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Towards COVID-19 Among Pharmacists: A Cross-Sectional Study
Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, 2021
Purpose The COVID-19 outbreak has caused governments to put pandemic-related guidelines requiring compliance and understanding by healthcare professionals to mitigate its spread uncontrollably. We studied pharmacists’ knowledge, attitude, and practice towards the COVD-19 outbreak compared with other healthcare workers during the pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Methods We surveyed pharmacists’ socio-demographics (n=50) compared with other healthcare professionals (n=378) during lockdown starting in June 2020. We measured respondents’ level of knowledge (n=10 questions, maximum score of 10), attitude (n=17 questions, maximum score of 80), and their practices (n=16 questions, maximum score of 80) towards COVID-19 infection. Results Median knowledge score was 8 (25th–75th percentiles: 7–9), attitude score 76 (70–80) and practice score 74 (68–78). Good knowledge predictors were >20 years working experience [OR: 2.05 (95% CI: 1.03–4.06); P=0.04] and >50% working in clinical practice [OR: ...
Public’s Experiences and Expectations of Pharmacists during Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Saudi Arabia
International Journal of Pharmacology and Clinical Sciences, 2021
Goal: To elucidate the public' experiences and expectations of pharmacists during COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia. Methods: It is three cross-sectional of convenient sampling and calculated number of the subject with power eighty. It was a self-reported electronic survey for the population in the King of Saudi Arabia. It encompassed all citizens who lived in Saudi with the age of more than 18 years and above. The survey entailed of the demographic data patients actual experiences of pharmacists during COVID-19 and patients actual expectations of pharmacists during any other pandemic situation. Survey monkey, Microsoft Excel, and Statistical Package of Social Science (SPSS) were used for the analysis. Results: The total number of responding pharmacists was 461. Of those, 440 (95.44%) were Saudi, and 344 (74.62%) were female, with statistical significance between nationality or gender answers (p<0.001). Almost two-thirds of the responders had bachelor's degrees 319 (69.20%) with statistically noteworthy between among all academic qualifications (p<0.001). Most of the responders were non-healthcare professionals 338 (74.45%), and physicians and nurses representative high percentages 37 (35.92%) and 31 (30.10%), respectively, with statistically significant among the remaining answers (p<0.001). The total average scores of patients' actual experiences of pharmacists during COVID-19 were 3.41. The high scores element was pharmacists routinely counsel me regarding the safe and appropriate use of my medications (3.79), and the pharmacist implemented the MOH covid-19 instructions and guidelines (3.77). The total average scores of patients actual expectations of pharmacists during any other pandemic situation were 3.71 with high scores element was the pharmacist expand their services and will most of my medications request by online and mobile application (3.88) and the pharmacist applied software applications for education for drugs and any pandemic (3.86). Conclusion: The public' experiences and expectations of pharmacist during COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia is very optimistic. Therefore, targeting education, training, declaring the pharmacist's role during pandemic situations, emergency public health emphasizing therapeutic guidelines and preventing drug-related problems is highly proposed for implementations in Saudi Arabia.
Turkish Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2021
Introduction: COVID-19 related cases and deaths are ongoing through the world but still there are no effective vaccines and drugs. It is important for the prevention and control of the disease that pharmacists have sufficient knowledge and awareness. COVID-19 has been widely covered in media, and the media has been a commonly used source by healthcare professionals. This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes and impressions of community pharmacists about COVID-19 and factors effecting this. Methods: The questions in this survey were formed using guideline created by WHO, guide composed by the Turkish COVID-19 Scholarly Commission and data declared in the Ministry of Health website. The questionnaire was designed on Google forms and then applied to the community pharmacists all over the Turkey by sharing the survey link. Results: Analyzes of 393 questionnaires showed that ministry of health / government statements, internet (scientific sources) and media were the most preffered sources for information (96.7%, 89.6% and 84%, respectively). 'Ways to be protected against COVID-19' was the most searched title (96.9%). Hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin were the name of the two drugs mostly written (57.5% and 50.1%, respectively) for the treatment of COVID-19 in Turkey. It was determined that the participants receiving information from media provided less training to patients / customers on personal protection measures against COVID-19 (83.3%) and COVID-19 symptoms (78.8%); however their behavior in training pharmacy staff is just the opposite of this. Approximately half of the participants (46.6%) trust the Ministry of health the most regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Discussion and Conclusion: Media and other sources affect pharmacists' knowledge, behavior and impressions. High level of knowledge positively affects people's behavior. It is important that pharmacists should have accurate information about COVID-19 and transfer u n c o r r e c t e d p r o o f their knowledge to the society and to provide patient education in order to prevent and control the spread of COVID-19.
Pharmacists Awareness of Covid-19 and Its Symptoms in King Hussein Hospital at RMS, Jordan
IRJPMS, 2022
Objectives: Corona virus (COVID-19) first detected in China at the end of 2019 and many cases of deaths related to the virus have been described worldwide. Pharmacists show an important role in assigning precise information about the virus to the community. The aim of this study is to evaluate the Awareness and knowledge among Pharmacists and co pharmacists working at (KHMH) about COVID-19 and symptoms associated with the infection. Methods: A questionnaire will be distributed to pharmacists and pharmacist assistants working in the hospital. The questionnaire is divided into two parts, the first part is concerned with the topographic information of the participants, while the second part consists of a set of questions concerned with the knowledge and experience of the participants and their information about the nature of the disease and the virus and its symptoms. The results will be analyzed using SSPS software version 21. Results: A total of 100 pharmacists and pharmacist assistants participated in the questionnaire, the majority of whom were female (n = 66), (62%) of the participants were between the ages of 30-39, (79%) were married, the majority hold a bachelor's degree by (69%). There is a commitment of wearing mask, with a significant difference (24.82% and 48.18% p=.0001). Most of the participants have a good and updated data about corona virus and how the virus transmitted (89%). Conclusion: From this study, we conclude that pharmacists and pharmacist assistants at King Hussein Hospital have sufficient awareness of this global epidemic and its accompanying symptoms. This positive and high level of knowledge affects the rest of the people working and not working in this health sector in a positive way.
Knowledge and Attitudes Among Hospital Pharmacists About COVID-19
Turkish Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2020
Tüm dünyada COVID-19 olguları ve bu hastalığa bağlı ölümler bildirilmiştir. Bir sağlık uzmanı olarak eczacılar COVID-19 hakkında doğru bilgilerin topluma iletilmesinde önemli rol üstlenmektedir. Bu çalışmada hastane eczacılarının COVID-19 hakkındaki bilgi ve tutumlarının değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışma kapsamında 7. Ulusal Hastane ve Kurum Eczacıları Kongresine katılan hastane eczacılarına bir anket uygulandı. Bu ankette yer alan sorular, Türkiye COVID-19 Bilim Kurulu Kılavuzu (COVID-19 Kılavuzu) kullanılarak oluşturulmuştur. Bulgular: Çalışmada %72,6'sı kadın olmak üzere toplam 237 katılımcıya ait anket değerlendirilmiştir. Katılımcıların bilgi kaynağı olarak en çok medyayı (televizyon, gazete), interneti (bilimsel kaynaklar), interneti (bilimsel olmayan kaynaklar) ve sosyal medyayı kullandığı saptanmıştır (sırasıyla %60,3, %53,6, %53,2 ve %41,4). Katılımcıların COVID-19 ile ilgili bilgi ve tutumlarında yaşın ve kullandıkları bilgi kaynaklarının önemli etkisinin olduğu belirlenmiştir. Katılımcıların %72,6'sı korunma amaçlı cerrahi maske kullanmadığını bildirmiştir. Katılımcıların, hastalığın damlacıkla bulaştığı (%91,1) ve hastalığın genel semptomları (ateş; %92,4, öksürük; %84,4, solunum güçlüğü %60,3) konularında bilgi sahibi oldukları görülmüştür. Katılımcıların geneli tarafından, ileri yaşın (%84,8) ve eşlik eden hastalıkların (%80,2) COVID-19 için risk faktörü olduğunun bilindiği saptanmıştır. Hastalıktan korunmak için ellerin sabunla yıkanması (%92,0), el dezenfektanı kullanılması (%80,6), hasta kişilerle temasın önlenmesi (%81,9) sıklıkla belirtilen cevaplar arasında yer alsa da, katılımcıların %59,1'i N95 maske kullanımının da gerekli olduğunu belirtmiştir. Katılımcıların %43,9'unun tuzlu su ile burnu yıkamanın, hastalığı önlemede etkili olduğuna inandığı görülmüştür. Sonuç: Klasik medya ve sosyal medya toplumun ve sağlık profesyonellerinin tutumlarını etkilemektedir. Doğru bilginin sağlanması için medya araçlarını kullanmak, hastalığın yayılmasını önlemek ve kontrol etmek için önemlidir. Anahtar kelimeler: COVID-19, hastane eczacıları, bilgi, tutum Objectives: The COVID-19 cases and deaths related to virus were reported in all over the world. Pharmacists play important roles in conveying accurate information about COVID-19 to the community. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of hospital pharmacists about COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire were applied to the pharmacists participating in the 7th National Hospital and Institution Pharmacists Congress. The questions included in this questionnaire were created using the Turkish COVID-19 Scientific Committee guideline (COVID-19 Guideline). Results: Analyzes of 237 questionnaires (72.6% women) showed that media (television, newspaper), internet (non-scientific resources), internet (scientific resources) and social media were the most popular sources of information (60.3%, 53.6%, 53.2% and 41.4%, respectively). It was detected that the age and source of information that the participants use had an important influence on the participants' knowledge and attitudes towards COVID-19 infection. Majority of the participants (72.6%) were stated that they were not using any mask at all. Transmission of the disease by airborne was well known by the participants (91.1%), as well as the main symptoms such as fever (92.4%), cough (84.4%) and dyspnea (60.3%). The participants were aware of the risk groups for COVID-19 infection such as advanced age (84.8%) and having comorbidities (80.2%). Washing hands with soap (92.0%), using hand disinfectants (80.6%) and avoiding contact with sick people (81.9%) were popular answers for protection from the disease, however using N95 mask was also preferred by 59.1% of the participants. Prevention of the disease with rinsing the nose with saline was believed in by 43.9% of the participants. Conclusion: Classical media and social media affect the attitudes of both society and health professionals. Using media tools for accurate information is one of the basic conditions for preventing and controlling the spread of the disease.
Knowledge and attitudes of community pharmacists about COVID-19
Journal of Research in Pharmacy, 2021
Since the outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), it has been considered an emergency situation that requires community pharmacists to be involved in direct patient care. The goal of this study is to collect information on community pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes, practices, and educational initiatives and pandemic preparedness, as well as to analyze challenges that may faced during the pandemic. Questionners from previous literature were used after translation and validation in a pilot study. Google forms were used to distribute the questionners to all the community pharmacies in Çanakkale, Turkey after ethic approval from Altınbaş University ethic committee. There were a total of 40 open-ended questions prepared to test knowledge attitudes presented as multiple choice or Likert scale questions. SPSS 20 software programme was used to analyze data. Among the all pharmacies, 60 pharmacists from 60 pharmacy were participated in the study. 70 % of those who took part in the study were women, and 30%were between the ages of 40 and 49. The mean score of knowledge based questions were 9.85/13, the majority of pharmacists were worried about being contaminated or infecting their families and were following the safety rules. The participants had certain gaps in their pandemic preparedness. To conclude, pharmacists have a moderate level of understanding of COVID-19 related topics, sufficient information about the pandemic, and they are strong enough to deal with the resulted obstacles. Although there are significant gaps and problems, the shortcomings can be solved by providing proper motivation and training to increase awareness.
Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice
Background With the outbreak of Coronavirus infection (COVID-19), pharmacists play an important role in supporting local health during this emergency. Aim To assess the knowledge and to identify information sources regarding COVID-19 used by pharmacists, to investigate the active and public perceived roles of pharmacists, to explore the role of the pharmacy facilities and health authorities, and to identify barriers that would hinder pharmacists from performing their duties optimally in the United Arab Emirates. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional online study was conducted in the UAE during the COVID-19 outbreak, from 18 May to 20 June 2020. A validated online questionnaire addressing participants’ current knowledge about pandemics and COVID-19, source of information, and their perspectives of their role was used. Participants were licensed pharmacists practising in community and hospital pharmacies in UAE, academics, and pharmacy students. Results Almost two-thirds of the par...
BAU Journal - Health and Wellbeing
The burden on community pharmacists has dramatically increased since the COVID-19 pandemic, where the increased number of clients demands adhering to optimal infection protective measures. We aimed to investigate the level of adopted COVID-19 preventative measures by Lebanese community pharmacies and the influencing factors. One hundred community pharmacies in Beirut, were randomly selected and inspected by a simulated client. Signs of face-mask use, declaration of COVID-19 infection, and social distancing were observed in 62%, 48%, and 35% of pharmacies, respectively. Body temperature screening was absent. Only 20% of the pharmacies had limitations for the number of clients, and only 31% offered free disinfectants. Direct pharmacist-patient encounters were observed in 25% of pharmacies. Social distancing among pharmacists was practiced in only 8% of the pharmacies and 37% of pharmacists were not wearing facemasks. Female pharmacists, pharmacists > 40 years, and large pharmacies were associated with a significantly higher score than male pharmacists, younger pharmacists, and smaller
Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 was declared a "public health emergency of international concern" in January 2020 and a pandemic in March 2020 by WHO. With lockdown observed globally, there is greater dependence on pharmacists as the first point of contact to meet the public's healthcare needs. However, the roles of pharmacists have not been clearly defined. Objectives: To document pharmacists' perceptions of their roles in the COVID 19 outbreak and adequacy of training for emergency/pandemic situations. Methods: An online survey using pharmacists WhatsApp groups was carried out. Sample size was calculated as 384. A mobile App, FormsApp ® , was used to create and disseminate the survey among pharmacists' WhatsApp groups. Collected data was exported to Microsoft Excel and descriptive and thematic analysis with coding carried out. Ethical approval was obtained from the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idiaraba, Lagos. Results: A total of 716 respondents participated in the study. The result shows 56% female participation, and respondents' mean age as 39.04 ±10.46 years. Most common roles by respondents are counselling and advice (95%), information dissemination (91%) and sales of protective gear (60%). About 47% of the respondents believe pharmacists are adequately trained for emergencies while less than a quarter (24.3%) rated pharmacists' involvement in COVID-19 pandemic as fully involved. Conclusion: From the study, pharmacists identified health education and counselling; production of sanitizers/PPE and drug therapy management as key roles for pharmacists in the pandemic while to improve involvement, training of pharmacists, provision of PPE and collaboration with emergency teams were identified.