Objective: Patient satisfaction is an indicator for quality of healthcare service and is sometimes linked to patients' willingness to pay. Willingness to pay is an economic method for estimating patient's inclination for a service in monetary terms. This study assessed satisfaction of patients from pharmacist counseling service and estimated their willing to pay for the same. Methods: A month-long survey was conducted in community and hospital pharmacies located in Khobar, Dammam, and Qatif cities of Saudi Arabia, using Arabic version of Patient Satisfaction Feedback (PSF) questionnaire that measured satisfaction with counseling as well as willingness-to-pay. Convenient sampling method was used, and sample size was calculated based on power analysis. Data was analyzed through SPSS version 23. Chi-square (c 2) test and logistic regression analyses were conducted to report associations between variables and, determinants of satisfaction as well as willingness to pay respectively. The study was approved by concerned ethical committee (IRB-2019-05-020). Results: Patients (n = 531) with previous counseling experience were more likely to be satisfied [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 5.2, p < 0.05]. Patients were more willing to pay if, they had an income above SAR 10,000 i.e., USD 2666.5 (AOR 1.78, p < 0.05), were satisfied with counseling time duration (AOR 4.5) and, were able to get counseling without difficulty (AOR 2.1, p < 0.05). Patients were more likely to be satisfied and were willing to pay if, they received required knowledge/information completely (AOR 2.5, 3.7, and p < 0.05) and found pharmacist helpful (AOR 1, 4.5, and p < 0.05). Most patients (43.9%) were satisfied with pharmacist counseling and average satisfaction rating was 7.87 ± 1.99/10.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) or circumcision refers to the unnecessary procedure that damages or removes the external genitalia of females. It is mostly practiced in African countries and some Asian regions, particularly the Middle East, and is performed because of cultural, religious, and social reasons. FGM can negatively affect the lives of women and lead to devastating consequences, ranging from immediate to long-term complications. These complications can be in the physical, psychological, reproductive, or sexual health domains. In this systematic review, we aim to highlight the prevalence and practice of FGM in Saudi Arabia. We conducted a literature search at PubMed to identify studies related to the practice of FGM reported from Saudi Arabia. The results indicate that FGM can still be found in Saudi Arabia both in Saudi women and non-Saudi residents. Most of the non-Saudi women with FGM were Sudanese, Somali, Eritrean, and Egyptian. FGM is prevalent in regions such as Jeddah and Hali, Al Qunfudhah Governorate, Saudi Arabia. FGM is considered illegal in most countries around the world. However, in Saudi Arabia, there is no clear and specific law against the practice of FGM. More research on the practice of FGM in Saudi Arabia needs to be conducted to get a better grasp of the true nature of the problem in the country, which could potentially lead to specific and clear legislation that would prevent the social evil of FGM in Saudi Arabia.

No abstract