scholarly journals New Zealand pharmacists’ experiences, practices and views regarding antibiotic use without prescription

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Majd Dameh ◽  
Pauline Norris ◽  
James Green
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Years Of Experience ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Customer Demand ◽  
Personal Use ◽  
Business Orientation

INTRODUCTION: Very few studies have investigated pharmacists’ views, experiences and practices regarding the use of antibiotics without prescription. This study aimed to explore through self-report and hypothetical scenarios what factors determine New Zealand pharmacists’ behaviour and attitudes towards non-prescription use of antibiotics. METHODS: A purposeful sample of 35 registered community pharmacists of differing ethnic backgrounds was selected from a mixture of pharmacies that predominantly either serve New Zealand European customers or customers of other ethnicities. Semi-structured interviews including general background questions and six hypothetical scenarios were used for the investigation. Pharmacists’ ethnicity, education, years of experience, and customers’ ethnicity may influence their views, experiences and practices regarding the use of antibiotics without prescription. Customer demand or expectation, business orientation and competitiveness within community pharmacies, standards and practice of fellow pharmacists, ethics and professionalism, legislation, enforcement of the legislation, and apprehension of the consequences of such practice were hypothesised to have an effect on antibiotic use or supply without prescription by pharmacists. FINDINGS: The supply of antibiotics without prescription is not common practice in New Zealand. However, personal use of antibiotics without prescription by pharmacists may have been underestimated. Pharmacists were aware of legalities surrounding selling and using antibiotics and practised accordingly, yet many used antibiotics without prescription to treat themselves and/or spouses or partners. Many pharmacists also reported that under certain legislative, and regulatory and situational conditions they would sell antibiotics without a prescription. CONCLUSION: Views and practices regarding antibiotic use without prescription by community pharmacists require further exploration. KEYWORDS: Non-prescription antibiotics; hypothetical scenarios; legislation enforcement; New Zealand

scholarly journals Evaluation of Antibiotic Supply Decisions by Community Pharmacists in Thailand: A Vignette Study

Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 154
Author(s):  
Sisira Donsamak ◽  
Marjorie C. Weiss ◽  
Dai N. John
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Acute Diarrhoea ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Educational Interventions ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Case Vignettes ◽  
A Chain

In Thailand, antibiotics are available lawfully from community pharmacies without a prescription. Inappropriate supply of antibiotics from Thai community pharmacies to the public for common, self-limiting diseases has been reported. The study aimed to evaluate the appropriateness of antibiotics selected by community pharmacists in Thailand in response to vignettes. A cross-sectional survey of community pharmacists across Thailand was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire including nine case vignettes with three conditions, namely upper respiratory infections (URIs), acute diarrhoea and simple wounds. A total of 208 questionnaires were completed and analysed (20.8% response rate). In response to vignettes relating to URIs, 50.8% of pharmacist recommendations were not in accordance with antibiotic guidelines. Inappropriate recommendations for diarrhoea and wound cases were 20.8% and 16.7%, respectively. A higher proportion of younger pharmacists, those with less experience, Pharm. D. graduate pharmacists, employee pharmacists and those pharmacists who worked in a chain pharmacy were more likely to recommend appropriate antibiotic treatment in response to the vignettes (p < 0.05). These findings will be useful to promote educational interventions for community pharmacists regarding common infectious disease management in order to improve appropriate antibiotic use.

scholarly journals Disposal practices for unused medications in New Zealand community pharmacies

2011 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfred Tong ◽  
Barrie Peake ◽  
Rhiannon Braund
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Controlled Drugs ◽  
Pharmaceutical Waste ◽  
Unused Medications ◽  
Class B ◽  
Semi Solid ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

INTRODUCTION: One of the recommended methods for households to dispose of unused medications in many countries is to return them to community pharmacies. However, such a practice will only reduce the environmental levels of pharmaceuticals if the medications are also disposed of and destroyed properly by the pharmacies. AIM: This study reports the results of a questionnaire sent to New Zealand community pharmacists regarding disposal practices for unused or expired medications in their workplaces. METHODS: A pre-tested, self-administered questionnaire was sent to 500 randomly selected community pharmacies from all areas of New Zealand. The participants were asked how they disposed of a variety of medications. In addition, participants were also asked about whether they knew how unused medications were destroyed if their pharmacy used a third-party contractor or distributor to dispose of them. RESULTS: Of the 265 respondents, 80.4% and 61.1% respectively reported that solid and semi-solid medications were removed by contractors. However liquid and Class B controlled drugs were predominantly disposed of down the pharmacy sink. Over 60% of the participating pharmacists indicated that they believed the contractors incinerated the collected pharmaceutical waste, and over 90% of the participating pharmacists indicated their wish for a state-run disposal and destruction system. DISCUSSION: Liquid medications and Class B controlled drugs, which were commonly reported to be disposed of down the sewerage system, may increase the potential for environmental pollution by pharmaceuticals in New Zealand. There is a need for increased environmental awareness amongst community pharmacists in New Zealand. KEYWORDS: Medication disposal; pharmaceutical waste; environment; excess medication; community pharmacist

scholarly journals “Basically you wait for an ‘in’’’: community pharmacist views on their role in weight management in New Zealand

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesley Gray ◽  
Rachel Chamberlain ◽  
Caroline Morris
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Weight Management ◽  
Community Pharmacist ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Pharmacy Staff ◽  
Health Community

ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Obesity is now widely regarded as the main contributor to poor health globally, overtaking tobacco as the leading potentially modifiable risk to health. Community pharmacists are delivering an increasing number of extended services and are potentially well placed to contribute to obesity management strategies. No studies to date have investigated the views of community pharmacists in New Zealand about their role in weight management. AIM To explore the views of community pharmacists in one region of New Zealand about their role in weight management, including the perceived barriers and facilitators to their involvement. METHODS Qualitative, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 11 community pharmacists from the Greater Wellington region. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically using an inductive approach. RESULTS Four key themes were identified from data analysis. These were: (i) perceptions of obesity; (ii) perceptions of weight management treatment options; (iii) the unique position of the community pharmacist; and (iv) barriers to involvement. The main barriers described included: (i) a lack of time and remuneration; (ii) the absence of an appropriate space within the pharmacy to discuss weight-related matters; (iii) and a lack of awareness of who to contact for specialist support. DISCUSSION Community pharmacists in Greater Wellington believe that they have a distinct role in their local community and can contribute to a multidisciplinary approach to reduce levels of obesity. Further work is required to determine the most appropriate role for community pharmacy in weight management and the training needs for pharmacy staff to optimally fulfil this role.

scholarly journals Electronic transmission of prescriptions in primary care: transformation, timing and teamwork

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 340
Author(s):  
Chloë Campbell ◽  
Caroline Morris ◽  
Lynn McBain
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
General Practitioners ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Unintended Consequences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Interprofessional Communication ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Handwritten Signature ◽  
Purposive Sample

ABSTRACTINTRODUCTIONDuring the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown in New Zealand in March 2020, there was a rapid shift to virtual consultations in primary care. This change was supported by system adjustments to enable electronic transmission of prescriptions without a handwritten signature if they met certain security criteria. International research suggests potential for unintended consequences with such changes, so it is important to understand the effect on professional practice in New Zealand general practice and community pharmacy.AIMThe purpose of this study was to undertake a preliminary exploration of the experiences of New Zealand general practitioners and community pharmacists when prescriptions are transmitted electronically directly from prescriber to pharmacy.METHODSSemi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of four pharmacists and four general practitioners gathered qualitative data about their experiences of the shift to electronic transmission of prescriptions. Participants’ perceptions of effect on professional workflow, interprofessional interactions between general practitioners and pharmacists, and interactions with patients were explored. Interviews were audio-recorded, and the data analysed thematically using an inductive approach.RESULTSFour themes were identified: workflow transformation; mixed impact on interactions with patients; juggling timing and expectations; and new avenues for interprofessional communication (with some cul-de-sacs).DISCUSSIONBoth general practitioners and pharmacists experienced transformational changes to workflow. This was positive for general practitioners due to saved time and increased work flexibility. Pharmacists noted potential benefits but also some challenges. To fully reap teamwork benefits, more work is needed on managing the timing issues and patient expectations, and to refine the new modes of communication between health-care practitioners.

scholarly journals 147. Pharmacist Attitudes Towards Using Clinical Decision Support in Community Pharmacies to Promote Antibiotic Stewardship in the Treatment of Uncomplicated UTI

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S84-S84
Author(s):  
Sena Sayood ◽  
Katie Suda ◽  
Michael Durkin
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Community Pharmacy ◽  
Clinical Decision Support ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Uncomplicated Urinary Tract Infection ◽  
Prescribing Practices ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Pharmacist Attitudes

Abstract Background Prior studies of prescribing practices have shown that providers frequently choose non-guideline concordant treatment regimens to treat uncomplicated urinary tract infection (UTI). It has also been shown that uncomplicated UTI can be treated safely, and in a guideline concordant manner, by non-physician providers using an algorithm over the phone. The purpose of this study was to assess pharmacist attitudes towards using a clinical decision support (CDS) tool that would be used to evaluate and manage patients presenting with complaints of UTI in the community pharmacy setting. Methods We conducted semi-structured interviews of community pharmacists (n = 21) from 2019 to 2020 until thematic saturation was reached. Pharmacists were questioned about their attitudes towards stewardship, workflow, interactions with patients and providers, and interest in using a computerized CDS tool. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and de-identified. Coding and analysis of the interviews was performed using NVivo version 12. Results Pharmacists were interviewed with practice experience ranging from 2 to 54 years (median 13, IQR 6, 27). All pharmacists expressed interest in using CDS to assist with patient evaluations and stewardship. They reported that patients routinely use the community pharmacy as a first stop for medical advice and that they have several interactions per day with patients in which they counsel them on a variety of issues, including UTI. Their assessment and management decisions of UTIs were based on personal knowledge and not on any standard of care. Communication difficulties with primary care offices often delayed management of these patients and lack of information sharing made it difficult for pharmacists to engage in stewardship practices. Conclusion Community pharmacies are an important point of contact for patients and represent a significant opportunity to implement outpatient stewardship interventions. Pharmacists had an overwhelmingly favorable response to the prospect of using a CDS tool, both to help in patient evaluation and to promote antimicrobial stewardship. Based on these results we can conclude that it would be feasible to pilot a CDS tool in community pharmacies to further evaluate its safety and efficacy in the treatment of UTI. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals Personal Use of Handheld Fetal Doppler Monitors by Women in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyndal Honeyman
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Neonatal Morbidity ◽  
Fetal Life ◽  
Online Forums ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Fetal Doppler ◽  
Personal Use ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive

<div>This qualitative descriptive study explores what factors are driving women in New Zealand to use handheld fetal Doppler monitors during their pregnancy. This is a little explored phenomenon in the literature, and consensus among health professional bodies is that pregnant women should be discouraged from using a handheld fetal Doppler. One concern health professionals hold is that a pregnant woman may be falsely reassured about the condition of her unborn baby and would delay presentation to her lead maternity carer, culminating in stillbirth or neonatal morbidity and mortality that potentially could have been avoided.</div><div><br></div><div>Six women from a major New Zealand city who were between 20- and 39-weeks’ gestation participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis, as described by Braun and Clarke, was used to generate five main themes and six subthemes. Control was a strong overarching</div><div>theme with subthemes of Fertility and Pregnancy Loss, Ultrasound and Doppler anxieties. Fetal feedback with the subtheme of Bonding was another strong theme. The third and fourth themes were Peer-to-peer education and support and Lay knowledge versus professional knowledge with a</div><div>subtheme of Lack of research. The final theme was the Woman-Midwife relationship with a subtheme of More support.</div><div><br></div><div>Women’s reasons for using a handheld fetal Doppler is for control of their response to the potential of miscarriage. This response is largely one of anxiety, particularly prior to the quickening of the fetus when there is little feedback to prove ongoing fetal life outside of symptoms such as morning sickness. Whilst women gain their information to underpin use of a handheld fetal Doppler via their peer groups in online forums and other internet-based repositories, they are</div><div>wanting to enact partnership and shared decision-making with their lead maternity carer (LMC) regarding their use of handheld fetal Doppler monitors in pregnancy.</div><div><br></div><div>As technologies advance and become more available to non-health professionals, further exploration of use of handheld fetal Doppler monitors by pregnant women is needed in order to better inform women and midwives around the potential benefits and risks.</div>

scholarly journals Personal Use of Handheld Fetal Doppler Monitors by Women in New Zealand

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyndal Honeyman
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Neonatal Morbidity ◽  
Fetal Life ◽  
Online Forums ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Fetal Doppler ◽  
Personal Use ◽  
Qualitative Descriptive

<div>This qualitative descriptive study explores what factors are driving women in New Zealand to use handheld fetal Doppler monitors during their pregnancy. This is a little explored phenomenon in the literature, and consensus among health professional bodies is that pregnant women should be discouraged from using a handheld fetal Doppler. One concern health professionals hold is that a pregnant woman may be falsely reassured about the condition of her unborn baby and would delay presentation to her lead maternity carer, culminating in stillbirth or neonatal morbidity and mortality that potentially could have been avoided.</div><div><br></div><div>Six women from a major New Zealand city who were between 20- and 39-weeks’ gestation participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis, as described by Braun and Clarke, was used to generate five main themes and six subthemes. Control was a strong overarching</div><div>theme with subthemes of Fertility and Pregnancy Loss, Ultrasound and Doppler anxieties. Fetal feedback with the subtheme of Bonding was another strong theme. The third and fourth themes were Peer-to-peer education and support and Lay knowledge versus professional knowledge with a</div><div>subtheme of Lack of research. The final theme was the Woman-Midwife relationship with a subtheme of More support.</div><div><br></div><div>Women’s reasons for using a handheld fetal Doppler is for control of their response to the potential of miscarriage. This response is largely one of anxiety, particularly prior to the quickening of the fetus when there is little feedback to prove ongoing fetal life outside of symptoms such as morning sickness. Whilst women gain their information to underpin use of a handheld fetal Doppler via their peer groups in online forums and other internet-based repositories, they are</div><div>wanting to enact partnership and shared decision-making with their lead maternity carer (LMC) regarding their use of handheld fetal Doppler monitors in pregnancy.</div><div><br></div><div>As technologies advance and become more available to non-health professionals, further exploration of use of handheld fetal Doppler monitors by pregnant women is needed in order to better inform women and midwives around the potential benefits and risks.</div>

scholarly journals ACCESSIBILITY AND USE OF ANTIBIOTICS AMONG PATIENTS VISITING COMMUNITY PHARMACIES IN BENIN CITY, NIGERIA

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 154-164
Author(s):  
N. A. Isabel ◽  
A. E. Efe ◽  
O. I. Joshua
Keyword(s):  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Easy Access ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Benin City ◽  
Study Population ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Antibiotic resistance is an increasing problem worldwide. Among contributory factors is increasing easy access to antibiotics which is a trend in developing countries. The objective of this study is to determine the accessibility and use of antibiotics. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in eight community pharmacies in Benin City, Nigeria. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Administrative approval was obtained from the superintendent pharmacists, while informed consent was sought from all study participants. The data obtained from the study were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 22. Of the 450 participants in the study, most [329 (73.11%)] had used antibiotics in the last six months before their current visit to the pharmacy, 207 (46%) of them took the antibiotic without laboratory investigation. Many [274 (60.89%)] of the participants had an antibiotic among the medications they got from the pharmacy on their current visit. More than half [289 (64.22%)] of the participants sometimes got antibiotics without prescription. More Pharmacists recommended antibiotics for participants compared to doctors (44.11%: 24.44%), while more than half of the study population (62.89%) got their antibiotics from pharmacies. Many [295 (65.56%)] of the participants think that the country should regulate antibiotic use. This study has shown that community pharmacy is a major outlet where patients source antibiotics sometimes without a prescription, thus denoting that many patients self-medicate with antibiotics. The need for incorporating community pharmacists in developing guidelines for prescribing and using antibiotics is crucial.

The need to integrate in primary healthcare: nurse identity constructions of pharmacists as entrepreneurs

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 849-867
Author(s):  
Natalia D'Souza ◽  
Shane Scahill
Keyword(s):  
Primary Care ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Community Pharmacy ◽  
Social Entrepreneurship ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Community Pharmacists ◽  
Role Identity ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Identity Constructions

PurposeThis study explores nurses' views as to whether they see community pharmacists as “entrepreneurial” and what this might mean for working together in primary care. Pharmacists are expected to fully integrate with their colleagues – particularly nurses – under the New Zealand health policy. Yet, there is scarce literature that examines multidisciplinary teamwork and integration through an entrepreneurial identity lens. This is particularly important since around the world, including New Zealand, community pharmacies are small businesses.Design/methodology/approachThis was an exploratory qualitative study. A total of 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with nurses from primary care, nursing professional bodies and academics from nursing schools. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Coding was undertaken through general inductive thematic analysis.FindingsIn total three key themes emerged through analysis: the entrepreneurial profile of the community pharmacist, the lack of entrepreneurship across the profession, and the role identity and value that community pharmacists hold, as viewed by nurses. There appeared to be pockets of entrepreneurship in community pharmacy; nurses did not express a blanket label of entrepreneurship across the whole sector. Nurses also discussed several forms of entrepreneurship including commercial-oriented, clinical and social entrepreneurship. The social entrepreneurship identity of community pharmacists sat most comfortably with nurse participants. Overall, nurses appeared to value community pharmacists but felt that they did not fully understand the roles that this profession took on.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper contributes to the academic literature by identifying three domains of entrepreneurship relevant to community pharmacy as well as multi-level barriers that will need to be jointly tackled by professional bodies and policy-makers. Improving nurses' and other healthcare professionals' knowledge of community pharmacists' role and expertise is also likely to facilitate better inter-professional integration.Originality/valueThere is scarce literature that attempts to understand how entrepreneurial identity plays out in health organisation and management. This study adds to the knowledge base of factors influencing integration in healthcare.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document