The competency of Indonesian pharmacy students in handling a self-medication request for a cough: a simulated patient study

Abstract

Background: Cough is a common symptom for which people frequently present to community pharmacies. Previous articles from developing countries have shown that the provision of self-medication consultation for cough in community pharmacies were suboptimal, with knowledge deficiency being a contributing factor. However, little is known regarding the ability of pharmacy students in handling self-medication consultations in developing countries.
 Objectives: To measure the competency of Indonesian pharmacy students in providing self-medication consultations for patients with chronic cough and to identify factors associated with the provision of appropriate advice.
 Method: This study is a cross-sectional study. A simulated patient method using a product and a symptom-based request of chronic cough was used in students from a pharmacy school in Indonesia. The nature and amount of information gathered and advice provided by pharmacy students were noted and audio-recorded. A logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with the provision of appropriate advice.
 Results: The information gathered by participating students was not comprehensive. The most common types of information gathered were related to the nature and duration of the cough. Information relating to accompanying symptoms, medications, and allergies was gathered in less than 60% of the participating students for both product and symptom based scenarios. The appropriate advice of direct medical referral was provided in 54% and 56% of the 183 participating students for the product and symptom-based request scenarios respectively. Asking about symptom duration and prior medical conditions were positively associated with the provision of appropriate advice in the symptom and product based requests respectively.
 Conclusion: Student competency in self-medication consultation for chronic cough needs to be improved. Appropriate information-gathering is a predictor of appropriate advice. Further qualitative research identifying factors affecting students’ competence in providing self-medication consultation is required, so that suitable interventions are developed and implemented.

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“…This problem may be attributed to the lack of sufficient knowledge about the needed non-pharmacological measures to manage diarrhea and other minor ailments. Similarly, few of the Indonesian pharmacy students mentioned non-pharmacological advice for patients with cough [ 28 ]. Meanwhile, the advice about lifestyle measures was mentioned by nearly all the participated students after they used the application.…”

Pharmacy Students’ Over-the-counter Recommendations for Primary Dysmenorrhea and Childhood Fever Cases in an Indonesian University

“…The number of pharmacy students who were able to provide appropriate recommendations was higher in this cohort compared with another Indonesian study. 22 Differences in the students' grade level (final year vs third year), the scenario used (analgesic-antipyretic cases vs cough case), and the assessment method (case vignette vs simulated patient) might be factors causing the differences between the two studies. This may indicate that their university teaching and learning processes have equipped them quite well to manage analgesic-antipyretic self-medication cases.…”

“…21 Another study showed that approximately only 55% of 183 third-year BPharm students participating in the research were able to provide appropriate recommendations in the case of cough due to asthma worsening. 22 Furthermore, a study from a faculty of pharmacy in Surabaya found that 71% of 86 apothecary students were able to provide appropriate recommendations in a case of low back pain. 23 While few studies related to the ability of pharmacy students to handle self-medication cases have been conducted, the results were varied.…”