Palestinian pharmacists’ knowledge of issues related to using psychotropic medications in older people: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge of pharmacists practicing in Palestine of issues related to using psychotropic medications in older people.MethodsThe study was conducted with a cross-sectional observational design using a questionnaire. A total of 400 pharmacists responded to a 19-statement knowledge test related to the use of psychotropic medications in older people. The study was conducted from July 2016 to February 2017. The reliability and internal consistency of the study tool was assessed using the test-retest method and the Cronbach alpha. Categorical groups were compared using the chi-square test and the Spearman rank correlation.ResultsOn the 19-statement knowledge test, the median score was 55.3% with an interquartile range of 21.9%. In a comparison of the demographic and practice-related variables of the pharmacists who scored ≥ 50% on the 19-statement knowledge test with those who scored < 50%, age, gender, and having taken a course on psychotropic medications were found to be significantly associated with performance, as shown by the chi-square test and Spearman correlation.ConclusionPharmacists practicing in Palestine possess less than optimal knowledge of issues related to the use of psychotropic medications in older people. Continuing educational interventions and/or training might be helpful in improving pharmacists’ knowledge of issues related to using psychotropic medications in older people.

Pharmacists’ Knowledge and Practice of Issues Related to Using Psychotropic Medication in Elderly People in Ethiopia: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Study

“…The findings of this study showed that 75 (52.1%) of the respondents had poor knowledge. This finding was of comparably higher values than the study conducted in Palestine (37.93%) [23]. This difference might be due to curriculum differences in the country and gaps in on-the-job training.…”

“…Data were collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire on 155 pharmacists who gave their consent for participation in the study. The data collection tool was developed after reviewing published literature [23,26,27] and consisted of 37 items that were divided into four sections. Questions 1−8 focused on the sociodemographic characteristics of the respondents, questions 9-13 focused on environmental-related status, and questions 14-32 and questions 33-37 are aimed at assessing the level of knowledge and practice of pharmacists toward psychotropic medication in the elderly, respectively.…”

“…The final scores were calculated for the 19-statement knowledge test as the percentage correct, which ranged from 0% to 100%. Participants were considered to have "good knowledge" if they scored ≥50% (score of 10-19) and poor knowledge <50% (score of 0-9) [23].…”

“…Thus, to provide good healthcare services, pharmacists are expecting to have commitment, ethics, adequate knowledge, attitude, and skills of medication [22]. However, different studies have shown that pharmacists have low knowledge and practice related to medication use, including psychotropic medication, particularly in elderly patients [23,24]. As in other developing countries, pharmacy practice in Ethiopia is evolving rapidly; however, there is a lack of empirical evidence about pharmacists' knowledge, practice, and experience of medication use [25].…”

Prevalence and factors associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms among Palestinian medical students

“…To achieve the sample size needed for this study, we decided to invite 425 medical students assuming a response rate of approximately 72% that was informed by our previous studies using a questionnaire as the study tool [41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50]. The target sample was stratified by academic year.…”