Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (K.A.P) of Pharmacy Pharmacists of the Department of Dakar in the Care of Diabetics

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the attitude practice and knowledge of pharmacists in the management of diabetes in the department of Dakar. Methodology: Cross-sectional study, conducted from 01 March to 30 September 2017 including all pharmacists in the Dakar region who agreed to participate in the survey. Data was collected through a pre-established questionnaire. Results: A total of 144 pharmacists were included in the study, representing a participation rate of 87.58%. The average age was 33.90 years, with a sex ratio of 1.69. Pharmacists were single in 50.88% of cases, and a minimum experience of 5 years was found in 64.03% of cases. Pharmacist assistants accounted for 57.9% of our study population. The assessment of knowledge based on 16 items shows an average score of 9.02. The level of knowledge was low to insufficient in 37.21% of cases, average in (50%) half of cases and good for (13.16%). Less than half (34.21%) of pharmacists had received training and the average date of last training was 33.76 ± 24.6 months. Training was provided by medical representatives and academics in 66.66% and 26.67% respectively. The most felt positive feelings were respectively the need for help, the compassion in respectively 98.42%, 42.11%. Feelings felt and simultaneously cited were: need for help and compassion in more than 40% of respondents. Only 29% of pharmacists did not have a lot of difficulty with patient questions and the only reason was the lack of awareness (84.68%) of patients about their disease. Screening for diabetes by capillary blood glucose was performed by 57% of pharmacists. Dietary advice (76.15%) and referral to the hospital (94.41%) were the most common practices in case of blood sugar disruption. The dialogue with patients was impossible in 22.81% of pharmacists and the main reasons given were lack of time (53.