Community pharmacy staff needs for the provision of oral health care education and advice in Australia

A scoping review of pharmacy participation in dental and oral health care

“…For example, only 12.5% (n = 25) of Saudi Arabian‐based pharmacists recognized dental plaque as a soft deposit on teeth 79 . More than 90% of Australian pharmacy staff were unaware of government schemes to support affordable DOHC 80 . Limited knowledge about the implications of oral health on systemic disease prevented NZ pharmacists from proactively offering oral health advice to consumers with cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes mellitus 29 .…”

“…Limited education or training about DOHC was reported by pharmacists, 31,33,40,41,72,80,85 pharmacy support staff 37,80 and pharmacy students 81 . Overall, pharmacists used multiple information sources when providing DOHC and recommending products, for example health magazines and journals, professional guidelines, pharmaceutical companies, as well as information obtained during their qualification, continuing professional development, advice from peers and colleagues, such as doctors, and reflecting on their own personal experience 29,31,41,42,44,53,56,67,69,71,80 .…”

“…Training on consumer advice for managing dental trauma was a reported area for improvement by pharmacy professionals 89 . Taing et al (2020) reported limited access to DOHC resources by Australian community pharmacists and support staff, with information gaps related to access to dental clinics and water fluoridation safety 80 . Three UK studies published in the 1990s evaluated the impact of campaigns to encourage SFM use 90‐92 .…”

“…81 Overall, pharmacists used multiple information sources when providing DOHC and recommending products, for example, health magazines and journals, professional guidelines, pharmaceutical companies, as well as information obtained during their qualification, continuing professional development, advice from peers and colleagues, such as doctors, and reflecting on their own personal experience. 29,31,41,42,44,53,56,67,69,71,80 Pharmacists indicated an interest in inclusion of more content within the undergraduate curriculum, 12,28,31,32,34,38,53,54,57,73 further continuing education, online training, 33,38 collaborative meetings with other health professionals 28,29,53,86 and access to oral health resources. 29,32,53,86 UK pharmacy support staff were keen to increase their oral health knowledge but did not identify how they would do this.…”

“…79 More than 90% of Australian pharmacy staff were unaware of government schemes to support affordable DOHC. 80 Limited knowledge about the implications of oral health on systemic disease prevented NZ pharmacists from proactively offering oral health advice to consumers with cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes mellitus. 29 Three studies involving pharmacy students from the United States, Turkey and Malaysia reported insufficient knowledge across a range of DOHC topics.…”