A Study of the Roles of Community Pharmacists working for the Project of Near-Home Medicine Pick-Up in Nakhon Pathom Province

Abstract

      Objectives: The purpose was to the roles and needs of community pharmacists working for the near-home medicine pick-up project, confidence and satisfaction with the network system as well as problems and obstacles from providing services.       Methods: This was a survey research using mixed method (quantitative and qualitative method). Data were collected by using questionnaires in interviews with specific samples (purposive sampling) who were pharmacists with authorized to register and obtaining a license to be a pharmaceutical practitioner. The participated drugstores were opened for at least 8 hours a day and there were pharmacists working all the time of service. Data were collected between June–July 2022. The research tools included a questionnaire and data surveyed form for assessing confidence, satisfaction, and the roles of pharmacists in the near-home medicine pickup project. The level of confidence and satisfaction in the network system used a rating scale, which was divided into 5 levels ranging from 1 to 5. Problems, obstacles and recommendations for project implementation were collected by interviews. Descriptive statistics used to analyze the data using Microsoft Excel.       Results: The project of near-home medicine pick-up had a total of 8 drugstores participating in the project,  6 drugstores located in Mueang District, 1 drugstore in Nakhon Chai Si District, and 1 drugstore in Sampran District. Additional data were further collected from 8 full-time pharmacists who attended the drugstores. Male to female ratio was 1 to 1 with an average age 42.63 + 13.98 years. Self-employed pharmacists were found in 87.5% of them. The average working experienced time in drugstores was 11.63 + 11.77 years. About 75.0% of drugstores had only one pharmacist and 2 drugstores with assistant pharmacists. The average number of service recipients was 77.50 + 26.59 per day and the average of drug-to-home service recipients was 6.63 + 6.37 per day, with an average time of 11.25 + 5.82 minutes per patient. All participating stores had additional screening measures of high-risk groups for covid-19 infection such as temperature, risk history taking. The personnel provided self-protection in patient care such as wearing a mask, face shield, a personal protective equipment (PPE), and social distancing. Hospital providing medicines to each patient were delivered to patients at participating drugstores. The community pharmacists roles of pharmaceutical profession in the field of basic pharmaceutical services were at a high level score (mean score 3.73 + 0.65 points), ancillary service roles was at a moderate level score (mean score 2.73 + 1.12 points), and drug inventory management at a low level score (mean score 2.25 + 1.44 points), respectively. In addition, the overall level of confidence in the drug delivery network was at a high level score (mean score 3.50 + 0.75 points) and the overall level of satisfaction in the drug delivery network was at a moderate level score (mean score 3.29 + 0.83 points). Network coordination, patients’ confidence in this project, and the difficulty of the pharmacy program were obstacles. The needs or expectations of pharmacists participating in the program included increasing the publicity of the program, adjusting the drug delivery system and medication appointments, accessed to the patients’ essential medicine and health database, network coordination system, and online data recording system that is not complicated.       Conclusions: Most of pharmacists in this project focused on basic pharmaceutical service roles, followed by supplementary services and drug inventory management, respectively. Continuous personnel development in basic services and pharmacy care will help to promote the project to receive medicine near home as one of the important basic public health tasks.