Pharmacists roles and responsibilities during epidemics and pandemics in Saudi Arabia: An opinion paper from the Saudi Society of clinical pharmacy

Badreldin, Hisham A.; Raslan, Shahad; Almudaiheem, Hajar Y.; Al-Omari, Bedor A.; Almowaina, Sahar; Joharji, Hala; Alawagi, Mohammad; Al‐Jedai, Ahmed

doi:10.1016/j.jsps.2020.07.002

Cited by 15 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 13 publications

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“…3,[8][9][10][11][12][13] In our analysis of these early cases, we detected COVID-19 transmission in two broad perspectives: random cases among travelers from Iran and, to lesser extent, Iraq or from Egypt, and patients who were infected due to subsequent local contact and transmission. 3,[8][9][10][11][12][13] People coming back from epidemic areas were less likely to look for healthcare or to be tested when symptomatic; however delays in identifying the asymptomatic index cases of some travelers meant that locally acquired cases took longer to be detected and isolated when compared with symptomatic cases, which were more likely to be easier and faster to detect and isolate. 14 Identifying index cases is a very important step in preventing and minimizing the subsequent infection transmission.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Characteristics of First Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and the Effort to Prevent the Early Spread of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia

Natto¹,

Alshaeri²

2021

RMHP

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To characterize the overall trends in early cases of COVID-19 and to identify the key points of the government effort to minimize the infection. Patients and Methods: A retrospective review and data were retrieved through online sources and the Saudi Ministry of Health daily announcements that were available online. The data included the number of infections per day, and the gender, nationality, location, source of infection, incidence, rate of recovery, and the rate mortality of COVID-19 patients in Saudi Arabia between March 1 and March 16, 2020. Results: The incidence of COVID-19 increased in the first two weeks in Saudi Arabia, from zero cases on March 1 to more than 15 cases per day on March 16, with a total of 133 cases. The majority of patients were males (54.9%), of Saudi descent (54.9%), and had travel as their source of infection (57.1%). Most of the cases were in Makah (37.6%); however, there were increases in cases in all cities. Moreover, the Saudi government enacted several steps to minimize the spreading of infection. There was no statistical significance between source of infection with gender (p = 0.323). However, there was statistical significance between source of infection and nationality (p < 0.001). Conclusion:The incidence of COVID-19 cases is expected to continue to increase. However, the efforts of the Saudi government are crucial in minimizing the spread of this infection.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Characteristics of First Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and the Effort to Prevent the Early Spread of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia

Natto¹,

Alshaeri²

2021

RMHP

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“…Chinese pharmacies during the COVID-19 pandemic immediately resorted to national and international guidelines ( Zheng et al, 2020 ). An opinion paper from the Saudi society of clinical pharmacy recommended that health care institutions to involve pharmacists in emergency preparedness and disaster planning, as they are essential and integral during epidemic and pandemic situations ( Badreldin et al, 2020 ). The ease with which the public can access pharmacists gives them the advantage of providing services that can reduce unnecessary hospital visits.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pharmacists’ roles in emergency and disasters: COVID-19 as an example

Aburas

Alshammari

2020

Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal

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“…While the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health has been investing in public awareness campaigns, the Saudi Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) and the Ministry of Health (MoH) is yet to come up with advisory opinion and guidelines specifically designed to regulate the activities of pharmacists while executing their duties in the wake of COVID-19. An advisory opinion 31 urges Saudi Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) and the Ministry of Health (MoH) to continue utilizing pharmacists’ expertise in their efforts to prevent and treat COVID-19 during epidemic and pandemic situations. This draft paper also recommends the inclusion of pharmacists in emergency preparedness and disaster planning during the pandemic.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Readiness of Community Pharmacists to Play a Supportive and Advocacy Role in the Fight Against Corona Virus Disease

Alshahrani¹

2020

RMHP

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Background As the coronavirus disease pandemic continues to severely strain healthcare systems across the globe, there is need to determine whether every facet of the healthcare system is ready to respond. Purpose of the Study The study investigated whether community pharmacists in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia are ready to play a supportive role in the fight against COVID-19. Methods The study employed a descriptive cross-sectional survey. A descriptive analysis to capture the demographic characteristics of the sampled population, frequency tables and graphs were generated to capture community pharmacists’ practice, readiness, attitudes and awareness. The means of the subset of knowledge on COVID-19 etiology, prognosis and management, and the practice, attitudes were compared in a one way analysis of variance to determine whether the difference was significant to predict preparedness towards playing a supportive role in the fight against COVID-19. Results The practice of community pharmacist as reflected adherence to recommended guidelines by the ministry of health on COVID-19 management and control. About 74% always disinfected contact surfaces, 69% conducted basic temperature checks on staff members and customers. Community pharmacists in Saudi Arabia displayed positive attitudes towards fight against COVID-19 [m = 4.08 and a relatively narrow difference in percentage distribution between those who were not sure and those who claimed to be very satisfied 20%]. Community pharmacists in KSA displayed extensive knowledge on the subject of COVID-19 as all respondents were aware of the primary symptoms of COVID-19 (100%), 62% were aware of COVID-19 management strategies, 81% believed information supplied through the ministry was sufficient. A p value of 0.00 indicated that the results were significant to support the assumption that community pharmacists in KSA were prepared to play a supportive role in the fight against COVID-19. Conclusion The result demonstrated readiness among Saudi Arabian community pharmacists to be integrated into COVID-19 pandemic planning and response.

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Pharmacists roles and responsibilities during epidemics and pandemics in Saudi Arabia: An opinion paper from the Saudi Society of clinical pharmacy

Cited by 15 publications

References 13 publications

Characteristics of First Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and the Effort to Prevent the Early Spread of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia

Characteristics of First Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 and the Effort to Prevent the Early Spread of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia

Pharmacists’ roles in emergency and disasters: COVID-19 as an example

Readiness of Community Pharmacists to Play a Supportive and Advocacy Role in the Fight Against Corona Virus Disease

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