A cross-sectional survey on COVID-19 knowledge and precautionary measures of the pharmacists and patients in community pharmacies

Abstract

In the global pandemic of COVID-19, community pharmacists play key roles in implementing personal protective measures to control their own risk as well as the patient's risk of being infected with COVID-19. This study was designed to explore the COVID-19 knowledge and precautionary measures of the pharmacists and patients in community pharmacies. A cross-sectional survey was conducted on the pharmacists and patients in community pharmacies. Community pharmacists (N=597) and patients (N=779) from 162 community pharmacies were the subjects of the analysis. Though the pharmacists and patients had good COVID knowledge, the mean Knowledge score (K score) among the pharmacists (7.71±1.43) was statistically higher than that of patients (7.35±1.64, p<0.01). Regarding the precautionary measures, the mean precautionary measure score (P score) of the pharmacists (8.17±1.86) was statistically higher than that of the patients (7.91±2.04, p<0.05). Considering COVID knowledge of patients of different age groups (age: ≤39 and ≥40), no statistically significant differences were observed. Whereas regarding the precautionary measures, between these two age groups, several statistically significant differences were observed in the mean P score (≥40: 8.09±1.99, ≤39: 7.29±2.07, p<0.001) and in the implementing rates in some of the practices, avoiding crowded places, avoiding touching eyes/nose/mouth, etc. (p=0.043, p<0.001, respectively). The community pharmacists were found to have better knowledge and implemented better precautionary measures for the prevention of COVID-19 than the patients. The young generation patients should be educated on the essential protective measures for reducing the risk of becoming infected with COVID-19.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on pharmacy practice and on the provision of pharmaceutical care: A cross-sectional study among community pharmacists

“… 12 Given that they interacted with a large number of susceptible patients, they are indeed at higher risk of being infected by the virus. 13 Community pharmacies in Lebanon are often the first point of care since pharmacists have extended roles in ensuring drug safety, counseling and prescribing some drugs, vaccination, patient education, and health promotion. 14 The emergence of COVID-19 in February 2020 and the repetitive national lockdowns exacerbated the economic instability and unemployment rates.…”