COVID‐19: How Can Rural Community Pharmacies Respond to the Outbreak?

Adunlin, Georges; Murphy, P.; Manis, Melanie M.

doi:10.1111/jrh.12439

Cited by 39 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 12 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…39,40 The findings of this study suggest a potential role for pharmacists in the emergency response to COVID-19. This is in line with the findings of Adunlin et al, 9 about potential role of community pharmacists in the response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Wrong drug Occurs when a medication different from that named in writing on a prescription is used to fill the prescription.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…[6][7][8] This includes telepharmacy, which refers to providing remote pharmacist services, with a spatial distance between the pharmacist and the patients as the consumers of health services. 6,9 The effectiveness of telepharmacy was demonstrated as a mean to prompt asthma control, 10 and a tool to reduce adverse drug events in hospitals. 11 However, no significant difference in dispensing error rates across pharmacies with and without remote services was reported.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…00 MONTH 0000 TELEMEDICINE and e-HEALTH 1 community. 9,17 Moreover, consulting the public on medication use, adverse events, and adherence are potential benefits of remote pharmacist interventions. 18,19 However, the optimum conditions to operate such services are still unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Evaluation of Telepharmacy Services in Light of COVID-19

Ibrahim

Abdel‐Qader

et al. 2021

Telemedicine and e-Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Telepharmacy services are expected to have an important role in increasing access of patients to pharmaceutical care and reducing potential dispensing errors in community pharmacies. Objective: To assess the predictors for effective telepharmacy services on increasing access of patients to care and reducing dispensing errors in community pharmacies. Method: This is a prospective study carried out for 4 months in 52 community pharmacies across the United Arab Emirates (UAE) using disguised direct observation. Multivariable logistic regression was used as a tool to predict factors associated with effective telepharmacy services in improving dispensing safety and increasing access of patients to pharmaceutical care. Data were entered and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) software version 26. Results: Pharmacist recommendations related to COVID-19 at pharmacies with telepharmacy (n = 63,714) versus those without remote services (n = 15,539) were significantly more likely to be (1) contact the nearest testing center (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 7.93), (2) maintain home quarantine (AOR = 5.64), and (3) take paracetamol for fever (AOR = 3.53), all were significant results (p < 0.05). Rates of medication dispensing errors (MDEs) and its subcategories, prescription-related errors, and pharmacist counseling errors across pharmacies with telepharmacy versus those without remote services were (15.81% vs. 19.43%, p < 0.05), (5.38% vs. 10.08%, p < 0.05), and (10.42% vs. 9.35%, p > 0.05), respectively. However, pharmacies with telepharmacy were more likely to include wrong patient errors (AOR = 5.38, p < 0.05). Conclusions: Telepharmacy can be used as a tool to reduce the burden on the health care system and improve drug dispensing safety in community pharmacies.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Evaluation of Telepharmacy Services in Light of COVID-19

Ibrahim

Abdel‐Qader

et al. 2021

Telemedicine and e-Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This means that hospital pharmacist must keep abreast on current treatment research and protocols for COVID-19 and be familiar with EBM techniques given ongoing controversies (Al-Quteimat and Amer, 2020). In addition, should be provided with any necessary PPE including face shields and googles • Hospital pharmacists should be involved in educating patients/staff on COVID-19 management especially on non-pharmacological and pharmacological interventions • Where appropriate, pharmacist should be encouraged to prepare costeffective WHO-recommended hand sanitizers for their facilities • In the community, pharmacists have a vital role as they are often the first healthcare professional that patients contact regarding respiratory/ influenza diseases especially in countries with high patient copayments, concerns with access to ambulatory healthcare facilities as well as issues of affordability to pay for a physician and their medicines (Markovic-Pekovic et al, 2017;Mukokinya et al, 2018;Adunlin et al, 2020;Al-Quteimat and Amer, 2020;Godman et al, 2020a). This includes encouraging self care/ hygiene measures including the supplying and wearing of masks and the need for regular hand washing as well as trying to protect patients against stock-outs of pertinent medicines (Al-Quteimat and Amer, 2020; Amariles et al, 2020;Haque et al, 2020;Ung, 2020) • Community pharmacists can also discuss appropriate treatments including arguing against the need for antibiotics where this is a concern and encouraging appropriate referral where possible (Mukokinya et al, 2018;Amariles et al, 2020;Godman et al, 2020a) • Community pharmacists and others can also push for extended supply of medicines where appropriate as well as help engage in discussions regarding adherence to medicines using different technologies especially given ongoing concerns with adherence to medicines without regular input from pharmacists and other professionals (Al-Quteimat and Amer, 2020; Kretchy et al, 2020;Zheng S. Q. et al, 2020).…”

Section: Short Termmentioning

confidence: 99%

Response to the Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) Pandemic Across Africa: Successes, Challenges, and Implications for the Future

Ogunleye

Basu

Mueller³

et al. 2020

Front. Pharmacol.

176

215

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has already claimed considerable lives. There are major concerns in Africa due to existing high prevalence rates for both infectious and non-infectious diseases and limited resources in terms of personnel, beds and equipment. Alongside this, concerns that lockdown and other measures will have on prevention and management of other infectious diseases and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). NCDs are an increasing issue with rising morbidity and mortality rates. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that a lack of nets and treatment could result in up to 18 million additional cases of malaria and up to 30,000 additional deaths in sub-Saharan Africa. Objective: Document current prevalence and mortality rates from COVID-19 alongside economic and other measures to reduce its spread and impact across Africa. In addition, suggested ways forward among all key stakeholder groups. Our Approach: Contextualise the findings from a wide range of publications including internet-based publications coupled with input from senior-level personnel. Ongoing Activities: Prevalence and mortality rates are currently lower in Africa than among several Western countries and the USA. This could be due to a number of factors including early instigation of lockdown and border closures, the younger age of the population, lack of robust reporting systems and as yet unidentified genetic and other factors. Innovation is accelerating to address concerns with available equipment. There are ongoing steps to address the level of misinformation and its consequences including fines. There are also ongoing initiatives across Africa to start addressing the unintended consequences of COVID-19 activities including lockdown measures and their impact on Ogunleye et al. COVID-19 in Africa NCDs including the likely rise in mental health disorders, exacerbated by increasing stigma associated with COVID-19. Strategies include extending prescription lengths, telemedicine and encouraging vaccination. However, these need to be accelerated to prevent increased morbidity and mortality. Conclusion: There are multiple activities across Africa to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and address misinformation, which can have catastrophic consequences, assisted by the WHO and others, which appear to be working in a number of countries. Research is ongoing to clarify the unintended consequences given ongoing concerns to guide future activities. Countries are learning from each other.

show abstract

“…3,4 In this context, telepharmacy falls under the umbrella of telemedicine, and refers to providing pharmaceutical services within the scope of a pharmacist's responsibilities, with a temporal and spatial distance between patients as the consumers of health services and health-care providers. 5,6 Rural community pharmacies across the USA have been using telepharmacy to increase access to pharmaceutical services. 7 Brown et al 8 demonstrated the effectiveness of telepharmacy as a mean to maintain asthma control in a community setting.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Role of telepharmacy in pharmacist counselling to coronavirus disease 2019 patients and medication dispensing errors

Ibrahim

Meslamani

et al. 2020

J Telemed Telecare

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction Remote pharmacist interventions have achieved much more attention during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, since they reduce the risk of transmission and can potentially increase the access of vulnerable populations, such as patients with COVID-19, to pharmaceutical care. This study aimed to examine differences in rates and types of pharmacist interventions related to COVID-19 and medication dispensing errors (MDEs) across community pharmacies with and without telepharmacy services. Methods This was a prospective, disguised, observational study conducted over four months (from March 2020 to July 2020) in 52 community pharmacies (26 with and 26 without telepharmacy) across all seven states of the United Arab Emirates using proportionate random sampling. A standardised data-collection form was developed to include information about patient status, pharmacist interventions and MDEs. Results The test (telepharmacy) group pharmacies provided pharmaceutical care to 19,974 patients, of whom 6371 (31.90%) and 1213 (6.07%) were probable and confirmed cases of COVID-19, respectively. The control group pharmacies provided care to 9151 patients, of whom 1074 (11.74%) and 33 (0.36%) were probable and confirmed cases of COVID-19, respectively. Rates of MDEs and their subcategories, prescription-related errors and pharmacist counselling errors across pharmacies with telepharmacy versus those without remote services were 15.81% versus 19.43% ( p < 0.05), 5.38% versus 10.08% ( p < 0.05) and 10.42% versus 9.35% ( p > 0.05), respectively. Discussion This is one of the first studies to provide high-quality evidence of the impact of telepharmacy on COVID-19 patients’ access to pharmaceutical care and on medication dispensing safety.

show abstract

COVID‐19: How Can Rural Community Pharmacies Respond to the Outbreak?

Cited by 39 publications

References 12 publications

Evaluation of Telepharmacy Services in Light of COVID-19

Evaluation of Telepharmacy Services in Light of COVID-19

Response to the Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19) Pandemic Across Africa: Successes, Challenges, and Implications for the Future

Role of telepharmacy in pharmacist counselling to coronavirus disease 2019 patients and medication dispensing errors

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About