Patient-Centered Communication Among Pharmacy Professionals Working in Hospitals and Drug Retail Outlets in Asmara, Eritrea: Knowledge, Attitude, Self-Efficacy and Barriers

Overview

Journal Integr Pharm Res Pract

Date 2022 Oct 13

PMID 36225609

Authors

Ermias Michael

Abdulaziz Nurahmed

Haben Mihreteab

Mohammed Nurhussien

Mohammedali Adem

Alemseghed Goitom

Senai Mihreteab Siele

Eyasu H Tesfamariam

Nuru Abdu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Globally, preventable medication-related problems are increasing constantly. Patient-centered communication (PCC) is essential to identify and reduce the occurrence of drug-related problems such as inappropriate use of medications, adverse drug reactions and non-adherence. In Eritrea, personal observations and anecdotal reports showed that pharmacy professionals' practice towards PCC was unsatisfactory. This study was conducted to assess pharmacy professionals' knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy and barriers towards the practice of PCC.

Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study design was employed among all pharmacy professionals who were employees of the drug retail outlets and hospital out-patient pharmacies of Asmara, Eritrea. A census approach was employed and data were collected from May to June 2021 using a face to face interview-based data collection tool. Descriptive and analytical statistics including independent samples -test and multiple linear regression were employed using IBM SPSS (version-26).

Results: A total of 79 pharmacy professionals with a median age of 36 (IQR: 20) years were included in the study. The mean (SD) knowledge score of PCC was found to be 11.91 (2.0) out of 17. Moreover, the mean (SD) attitude score was 39.55 (4.0) out of 60 and the overall mean (SD) self-efficacy score was 52.51 (12.0) out of 96. Self-efficacy was significantly correlated with attitude (=0.015). Work setting (p=0.002) and training (p=0.045) were predictors for the sub-scales of self-efficacy 'exploring patient's perspectives' and 'dealing with communicative challenges', respectively. Workload/shortage of pharmacy professionals and time constraint were found to be the main barriers of the pharmacy professionals for not practicing PCC.

Conclusion: Generally the pharmacy professionals' fairly encouraging knowledge and attitude score on PCC, it was not supported with their self-efficacy. This necessitates further attention from policy makers and health facility managers in creating an ideal working environment for the pharmacy professionals to practice PCC at their best.

Citing Articles

An Evaluation on Five Dimensions of a Mobile Health Application for Patient Counseling in Ambulatory Care Pharmacy: A Single-center Cross-sectional Survey Based on Pediatric Caregiver's Opinion.

Liu Q, Wang M, Chen F, Ji X, Xu J, Wang Z J Res Pharm Pract. 2025; 13(2):41-46.

PMID: 39830950 PMC: 11737614. DOI: 10.4103/jrpp.jrpp_5_24.

A patient-centered ambulatory care pharmacy design to abate the real-world patient counseling challenges.

Thorakkattil S, Parakkal S, Arain S, AlDobayan Z Explor Res Clin Soc Pharm. 2023; 9:100248.

PMID: 37065778 PMC: 10090654. DOI: 10.1016/j.rcsop.2023.100248.

References

Jin H, Park S, Kang J, Choi K, Kim H, Jeon M . The influence of a patient counseling training session on pharmacy students' self-perceived communication skills, confidence levels, and attitudes about communication skills training. BMC Med Educ. 2019; 19(1):172. PMC: 6540548. DOI: 10.1186/s12909-019-1607-x. View

Gordon K, Smith F, Dhillon S . Effective chronic disease management: patients' perspectives on medication-related problems. Patient Educ Couns. 2006; 65(3):407-15. DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2006.09.012. View

Kuntz J, Safford M, Singh J, Phansalkar S, Slight S, Her Q . Patient-centered interventions to improve medication management and adherence: a qualitative review of research findings. Patient Educ Couns. 2014; 97(3):310-26. PMC: 5830099. DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2014.08.021. View

Kopciuch D, Paczkowska A, Zaprutko T, Ratajczak P, Nowakowska E, Kus K . A survey of pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes and barriers in pharmaceutical care concept in Poland. BMC Med Educ. 2021; 21(1):458. PMC: 8404347. DOI: 10.1186/s12909-021-02891-6. View

Luxford K, Safran D, Delbanco T . Promoting patient-centered care: a qualitative study of facilitators and barriers in healthcare organizations with a reputation for improving the patient experience. Int J Qual Health Care. 2011; 23(5):510-5. DOI: 10.1093/intqhc/mzr024. View

Tesfamariam S, Anand I, Kaleab G, Berhane S, Woldai B, Habte E . Self-medication with over the counter drugs, prevalence of risky practice and its associated factors in pharmacy outlets of Asmara, Eritrea. BMC Public Health. 2019; 19(1):159. PMC: 6364400. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-6470-5. View

Awalom M, Tesfa A, Kidane M, Ghebremedhin M, Teklesenbet A . Eritrean pharmacists' job satisfaction and their attitude to re-professionalize pharmacy in to pharmaceutical care. Int J Clin Pharm. 2015; 37(2):335-41. DOI: 10.1007/s11096-015-0064-9. View

Cresswell K, Fernando B, McKinstry B, Sheikh A . Adverse drug events in the elderly. Br Med Bull. 2007; 83:259-74. DOI: 10.1093/bmb/ldm016. View

Wolters M, van Hulten R, Blom L, Bouvy M . Exploring the concept of patient centred communication for the pharmacy practice. Int J Clin Pharm. 2017; 39(6):1145-1156. PMC: 5694524. DOI: 10.1007/s11096-017-0508-5. View

10.

Kaboli P, Hoth A, McClimon B, Schnipper J . Clinical pharmacists and inpatient medical care: a systematic review. Arch Intern Med. 2006; 166(9):955-64. DOI: 10.1001/archinte.166.9.955. View

11.

Okumura L, Rotta I, Correr C . Assessment of pharmacist-led patient counseling in randomized controlled trials: a systematic review. Int J Clin Pharm. 2014; 36(5):882-91. DOI: 10.1007/s11096-014-9982-1. View

12.

Ateshim Y, Bereket B, Major F, Emun Y, Woldai B, Pasha I . Prevalence of self-medication with antibiotics and associated factors in the community of Asmara, Eritrea: a descriptive cross sectional survey. BMC Public Health. 2019; 19(1):726. PMC: 6558833. DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7020-x. View

13.

Esmaeili M, Cheraghi M, Salsali M . Barriers to patient-centered care: a thematic analysis study. Int J Nurs Knowl. 2014; 25(1):2-8. DOI: 10.1111/2047-3095.12012. View

14.

Fang Y, Yang S, Feng B, Ni Y, Zhang K . Pharmacists' perception of pharmaceutical care in community pharmacy: a questionnaire survey in Northwest China. Health Soc Care Community. 2010; 19(2):189-97. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2524.2010.00959.x. View

15.

Zachariae R, OConnor M, Lassesen B, Olesen M, Kjaer L, Thygesen M . The self-efficacy in patient-centeredness questionnaire - a new measure of medical student and physician confidence in exhibiting patient-centered behaviors. BMC Med Educ. 2015; 15:150. PMC: 4572680. DOI: 10.1186/s12909-015-0427-x. View

16.

Abdu N, Mosazghi A, Teweldemedhin S, Asfaha L, Teshale M, Kibreab M . Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs): Usage and co-prescription with other potentially interacting drugs in elderly: A cross-sectional study. PLoS One. 2020; 15(10):e0238868. PMC: 7546451. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0238868. View