Problems and Obstacles in the Assessment of the Standard GPP Performance under the COVID-19 Situation of Entrepreneurial Drug Stores (Type 1) at Sakaeo Province

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Under the preceding Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation, this resulted in the evaluation of drugstores (Type 1) quality under the standard good pharmacy practice (GPP) performance.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the problems and obstacles in the evaluation of drugstores (Type 1) quality under the standard GPP performance, as well as compare the outcomes of the evaluation of drugstores (Type 1) quality under the standard GPP performance in the preceding COVID-19 situation in Sakaeo Province, Thailand.

METHODS: Through a cross-sectional study, all the documents were provided to allow the assessment of 67 drugstores (Type 1) under the standard GPP performance before 30 October 2018. The tools were the criteria of the assessment according to the standard GPP performance. In addition, the result of the assessment of each drugstore was compared in the pre-COVID-19 and preceding COVID-19 situations in 2018 and 2021, respectively. Furthermore, the problems and obstacles in the assessment of the standard GPP performance were collected.

RESULTS: There was a statistically significant total score (91.05% and 92.7% in 2018 and 2021, respectively). The main problems and obstacles in the assessment of the standard GPP performance were access to equipment, particularly the blood pressure meter of the customer.

CONCLUSIONS: The standard GPP performance scores measured before and preceding the COVID-19 situation were different. The problems and obstacles were mostly affected by the social distancing policy under the COVID-19 situation. As a result, those outcomes may be issues for further improvement of GPP assessment.