Knowledge and attitude of the Hospital Pharmacists towards achieving the National Health Sector Goals

Abstract

Background: Hospital pharmacists have an important role to play in the attainment of the national health sector goals. It is important that they have the relevant knowledge as well as attitude towards pharmaceutical care in order to be able to perform this role effectively.

Objective: To assess pharmacists' knowledge and attitude in attaining national health sector goals using pharmaceutical care model as standard of practice.

Method: A 21-item self completion questionnaire was administered to 121 pharmacists in selected facilities across the three levels of health care services in Lagos state. The facilities were chosen across the 3 senatorial districts of the state. The concept of pharmaceutical care was used as the standard of practice. Retrieved questionnaires were analyzed using descriptive statistics with the aid of Epi-info version 3.5.1 statistical package. Test for statistical significance was determined through the use of the chi-square.

Results: Postgraduate education amongst the respondents is low, with only 29.0% of the respondents having a postgraduate degree . However 86.0 % o f the respondent s have attended update seminars/conference/scientific workshops within the last 3years. Many believed that their knowledge base is adequate (75.2%) but admitted there is need for more training (92.4%). Many of the respondents acknowledged that adequate knowledge of disease pathophysiology (85%) and availability of patient medical history and medication records (82.6%) are important requirements in pharmaceutical care practice. An overall assessment of the knowledge of pharmaceutical care showed a mean score of 26.17±4.98 in 87% of the respondents out of a maximum possible score of 30 and a minimum of 6 with an average of 18 on a 6-item assessment criterion. Pharmaceutical care skill assessment was found to be satisfactory as shown by an average skill assessment score of 69.5%.While many do not believe that pharmaceutical care is a burden (80.1%), many are however willing to fully commit themselves to its implementation in their health facility(92.6%). There was however no statistically significant association between adequacy of knowledge and willingness to commit to full pharmaceutical care implementation (χ2=0.23, P=0.6330, P>0.05).

Conclusion: Hospital pharmacists in Lagos state have adequate knowledge of pharmaceutical care. They are also willing to commit themselves towards the implementation of pharmaceutical care in their practice settings. However there was no statistically significant association between their knowledge of pharmaceutical care and willingness to practice pharmaceutical care.