What is the role of the pharmacist?: physicians' and nurses' perspectives in community and hospital settings of Santiago de Cuba

Abstract

This study was carried out to understand the perceptions and expectations of the other health care professionals about pharmacists' role in primary health care centers and hospitals in Santiago de Cuba (Cuba). A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted, applying a self-administered questionnaire to health care professionals. The sample included 763 professionals (40.9% physicians and 59.1 % nurses) from hospitals and primary health care clinics, chosen by random stratified sampling,. The most common activity performed by pharmacists was the distribution of medications or the drug supply management (51.5%) and adverse drug reactions reporting (29.4%), activities performed daily by pharmacists. Pharmaceutical care practice was considered as poor by the professionals, and only 15.6% of them have collaborated in these programs in the past. For nurses and physicians, interprofessional communication occurs sometimes (56.9%) and never (25.8%). Pharmacists' integration into the health team was considered as fair (50.7%). A total of 70.1% perceived the pharmacist as a drug expert and 60.1% as a professional who provides medication counseling. The main expectations these health care professionals expressed were that pharmacists provide more education about medication (97.4%) and improve their interprofessional communication techniques in order to communicate more effectively with the other members of the health care team (96.6%).Uniterms: Pharmacists/professional functions. Pharmaceutical care. Interprofessional communication.O presente trabalho analisa o papel do farmacêutico na atenção primária de saúde e em hospitais, na percepção de profissionais da saúde na província de Santiago de Cuba. Um estudo descritivo transversal foi conduzido, através da aplicação de um questionário autoadministrado a uma amostra de 763 profissionais de atenção primária e hospitalar, 40,9% de médicos e 59,1% de enfermeiros. As funções farmacêuticas mais reconhecidas pelos profissionais desta amostra foram o fornecimento e distribuição de medicamentos (51,5%) e o relato de reações adversas medicamentosas (29,4%), funções desenvolvidas diariamente. A prática da atenção farmacêutica é limitada na percepção dos profissionais e apenas 15,6% têm participado em programas desse tipo. Comunicação interprofissional ocorre às vezes (56,9%) e nunca (25,8%), com maiores dificuldades na atenção primária de saúde. A integração do farmacêutico na equipe de saúde foi considerada regular (50,7%). Um total de 70,1% dos profissionais percebeu o farmacêutico como especialista em medicamentos e 64,1% como o profissional que aconselha sobre o uso de medicamentos. As principais expectativas colocam-se na necessidade de que o farmacêutico ofereça educação sobre o uso de medicamentos (97,4%) e reforce as suas técnicas da comunicação na equipe multidisciplinar (96,6%).Unitermos: Farmacêutico/funções profissionais. Atenção farmacêutica. Comunicação interprofissional.

What Do the Hospital Pharmacists Think about the Quality of Pharmaceutical Care Services in a Pakistani Province? A Mixed Methodology Study

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“…Moreover, literature was extensively reviewed [5, 9, 12, 13]. To assess the face validity of the questionnaire, the participants were selected.…”

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Physicians’ Understanding and Practices of Pharmacovigilance: Qualitative Experience from a Lower Middle-Income Country

“…It was interesting to know that the physicians now understand the expanding role of the pharmacist and that they would like them to be a part of the healthcare team. In the past, the pharmacist has been the most underutilized healthcare professional; however, this is now changing, as pharmacists claim more space in the healthcare milieu [38,50,51]. This is in line with a study where both nurses and doctors referred to the pharmacist to provide advice regarding drug management and ADR reporting [52].…”

Assessment of Attitudes of Cuban University Pharmacy Students Toward Pharmaceutical Care

“…Limitations in inter professional communication and pharmacists' integration into the health care teams have been suggested as possible causes of these deficits. 4 For countries where pharmaceutical care practice is still evolving fostering positive pharmaceutical care attitude amongst pharmacist should be the first and fundamental strategy to stimulate its wide spread acceptance and implementation. It is equally important to raise positive pharmaceutical care attitudes not only to now-a-days practitioners but more importantly, the practitioners of tomorrow.…”