Evaluation of community pharmacists’ involvement in public health activities in Nigeria

Abstract

The aims of the study were to identify the types, determine the extent of community pharmacists' involvement, and evaluate the factors influencing their participation in public health activities in Nigeria. The study was a cross-sectional survey of randomly selected 130 registered community pharmacies. Pretested questionnaire was the instrument for data collection. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse data. Response rate was 94.9%. The study identified 31 types of public health activities which community pharmacists participated in. Their extent of involvement was highest in patient counseling (4.93 ± 0.25), personal hygiene (4.90 ± 0.37), maintenance of normal blood pressure (4.88 ± 0.32), and techniques for using vagina pessaries (4.85 ± 0.38). Lowest areas of involvement were elimination of smokeless tobacco use (2.27 ± 1.56), use of seat belts when driving (2.03 ± 1.46), and the need to live in a safe neighborhood (1.42 ± 0.53). Inadequate training (96%), lack of pharmacists' time (94.6%), inadequate personnel (92.3%), lack of patients' time (88.5%), lack of profit (85.4%), inadequate space in the pharmacy (82.3%) and inadequate patients' information (69.9%) significantly influenced their participation. The study concluded that community pharmacists would participate more in public health activities if the identified barriers are reduced.

Malaria Diagnosis and Treatment: Perception of Community Pharmacists in Abuja Metropolis, Nigeria

“…The study sample had slightly more male respondents than females, and most respondents (above 80%) were young adults below the age of 40 years. The highest qualification for the majority (above 70%) of the respondents was the first degree, while the work-related experience was less than 10 years for most (about 80%) respondents, this is supported by a study done by Kanayo Patrick Osemene and Wilson O Erhun [12] in which there were more male than females within the age 18-34 years in community pharmacies. More than half of the respondents were married, and the majority reported Christianity as their religion.…”

Evaluation of the Participation of Community Pharmacists in Primary Healthcare Services in Nigeria: A Mixed-Method Survey

“…The data re-enforce earlier evidence. 3,20,31,32 In summary, it may be concluded that community pharmacists are PHC service providers, actively involved in all eight domains of PHC.…”

Towards improving community pharmacy-based mental health services in Nigeria

“…This is due to the ease of access, short waiting time, free consultation, and longer-term availability of the community pharmacists to the people [ 6 ]. For this position, pharmacists have been reinventing themselves to meet the dynamic health demands of the community [ 7 ]. One of such demands is the provision of mental health services for patients with such needs.…”

“…These services range from counseling on traumatic life experiences to facilitating therapy for addiction and depressive disorders among others. In fact, Osemene and Erhun [ 7 ] underscored counseling as the most common self-reported participation in non-pharmacologic public health activities among community pharmacists. Also, given its strategic position, community pharmacy-based provision of behavioral activation therapy for the treatment of depression is considered viable and efficient [ 5 ].…”

“…However, as pertinent as that might be, there are existing knowledge and competency gaps in keeping up with this trend. It has long been reported that the extant pharmacy curriculum in Nigeria is ineffective to provide adequate training as per emerging mental and public health services for pharmacy graduates, as community pharmacists do highlight inadequate knowledge as one of the barriers to their provision of certain health services such as tobacco harm reduction and social health advice [ 7 , 8 ]. A study by Aluh et al [ 9 ] reported a greater level of depression literacy among pharmacy students in comparison with non-pharmacy students in one university, however, another study found an overall negative perception and attitude towards mental illnesses among pharmacy students as comparable to non-pharmacy students in another university suggesting deficient mental health literacy [ 10 ].…”