Pharmacist intervention to improve patients’ knowledge and attitude towards hepatitis B infection

Abstract

Objective Lack of knowledge/awareness of people living with hepatitis B (PLH) often leads to misinformation and stigmatisation. This study aimed to assess the contribution of the clinical pharmacist (CP)‐led education on knowledge of PLH about their disease. Methods This prospective, cross‐sectional study was carried out between 1 October 2017 and 1 April 2018, at infectious disease and gastroenterology outpatient clinics in a university hospital. All PLH were interviewed face‐to‐face by a CP and a questionnaire about hepatitis B virus (HBV) knowledge was applied both at the beginning of the study (first interview) and 3 months later (second interview). Correct information was provided verbally to the patients by the CP concerning their incorrect answers during the first interview. A 10% increase in the number of correct answers was targeted for the second interview. Results A total of 147 PLH with a mean age of 43.05 ± 13.25 years were included in the study (55.8% female). In the first interview, the mean (±standard deviation) number of correct answers was 35.53 ± 9.15 out of 51 questions. In the second interview, correct answers were 48.67 ± 2.74 with an increase of 25.8% (P < .001). In the first interview, the number of correct answers was higher for the following groups: 20‐39 age group, people with monthly income of >1081 $ and university graduates. The number of correct answers to all questions but one was elevated (P < .001) in the second interview. Answers to the question “there is a carrier state in chronic hepatitis B (CHB)” did not change (P = .125). Conclusion Significant improvement was observed in the correct answer rate after CP’s contribution, therefore as a team member, CP has an important role in improving patients’ knowledge and attitude towards HBV infection.

Impact of COVID-19 on hepatitis B screening in Sierra Leone: insights from a community pharmacy model of care

“…To address the gap in affordable and accessible HBV screening, alternative models of care delivery such as community pharmacies have emerged in both high- and low-income countries [12] , [13] , [14] . This has been facilitated by the widespread availability of point-of-care (POC) tests.…”