Public Perception of the Role of Pharmacists and Willingness to Pay for Pharmacist-provided Dispensing Services: A Cross-sectional Pilot Study in the State of Sabah, Malaysia

Abstract

Pharmacists play an important role in healthcare delivery. Over the years, their role has shifted from product-oriented to patient-oriented. This study aimed to assess the perceptions of the public towards the role of pharmacists and the willingness of the public to pay for pharmacist-provided dispensing services in Sabah. This was a questionnairebased, cross-sectional study conducted from September 2014 to June 2015 in three major cities in Sabah, namely, Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau. The respondents were conveniently selected and interviewed based on a questionnaire to assess their perceptions of the role of pharmacists. A contingent valuation interview was then conducted to assess the respondents' willingness to pay. A total of 647 respondents were interviewed. Of the respondents, 61.4% agreed that pharmacists knew more about their medications and side effects and how to use the medications than their doctors. However, more than half of the respondents (54.4%) perceived that the pharmacists' role was only to supply medications and 66.6% of the respondents perceived that the pharmacist's role was to follow doctors' directions. Of the respondents, 89.0% appreciated and adhered to the counselling points provided by their pharmacists; 85.0% of the respondents hoped that pharmacists could play a greater role in healthcare in the future. Forty percent of the respondents agreed that community pharmacists were simply business people who sold products in their pharmacies. Finally, 55.3% of the respondents were willing to pay for pharmacist-provided dispensing services. The median (interquartile ranges [IQR]) amount that they were willing to pay was RM5.00 (IQR RM5.00). Respondents in this study showed variations in their views of the pharmacy profession. Nevertheless, more than half of the respondents valued pharmacist-provided dispensing services and were willing to pay RM5.00 for the services. To improve pharmacy practice, efforts should be undertaken to address the respondents' misunderstandings about the pharmacy profession and to promote the roles of pharmacists to the general public.

Examining key factors impact on health science students’ intentions to adopt genetic and pharmacogenomics testing: a comparative path analysis in two different healthcare settings

“…On the one hand, it might be related to the fact that the majority of Greek respondents were in their first- or second-year of studies and thus, they were not aware of the impact of drug management on patient’s overall management. According to Yau and Haque [ 30 ], it was indicated that the knowledge of PGx among students varied depending on the course of study and age, while Malay students had the same results in relevant questions, a fact that underlies the reliability and reproducibility of our observations [ 31 ]. On the other hand, it could be a result of cultural difference since pharmacists in Malaysia have a broader participation in the complete control of medication supply in comparison with their colleagues in Greece [ 31 ].…”

“…According to Yau and Haque [ 30 ], it was indicated that the knowledge of PGx among students varied depending on the course of study and age, while Malay students had the same results in relevant questions, a fact that underlies the reliability and reproducibility of our observations [ 31 ]. On the other hand, it could be a result of cultural difference since pharmacists in Malaysia have a broader participation in the complete control of medication supply in comparison with their colleagues in Greece [ 31 ]. Indeed, Malay pharmacists have the authority to do medication reviews, identify medication issues and provide recommendations for better drug administration to patients and doctors.…”

Attitude towards professional practice among community pharmacists’ in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

“…The role of pharmacists in promoting public health has been investigated by some Malaysian researchers, with a focus on the attitude of community pharmacists in Penang state (7) and else, a knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) study from the same state among the Penang's General Hospital pharmacists (8) . The respondents of another survey in Sabah state were consumers of pharmacy services, who responded the questions about pharmacy dispensing service charges (9) . Lack of publications on the attitudes of community pharmacists about their professional practice in Kuala Lumpur, as the capital city of Malaysia, prompted us to investigate this matter.…”

Consumers' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Toward Medicine Price Transparency at Private Healthcare Setting in Malaysia

“…The respondents were also found to be more likely to comply with a doctor's choice of medicine, regardless of price, and less likely to negotiate on the medicine price or ask for a discount. This could be because consumers are more concerned about receiving effective treatment regardless of cost, as reported in previous studies (30,34), or because they really trust their healthcare providers (35). The study by Schafheutle et al in England reported that a majority of their patients rarely and reluctantly discussed medicine prices and their affordability with their general practitioners (30).…”