Exploring pharmacists attitudes, practices, and barriers to conducting medication reviews in community pharmacy settings

Pharmacy Practice

  • Anan S. Jarab1Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15551, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates., 2Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan.
  • Walid Al-Qerem3Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Al-Zaytoonah University of Jordan, P.O. Box 130, Amman 11733, Jordan.
  • Karem H. Alzoubi4Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar., 5Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
  • Shrouq R. Abu Heshmeh2Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan.
  • Abdelfatah Amer6College of Pharmacy, Al Ain University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
  • Tareq Mukattash2Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid 22110, Jordan.
  • Yazid N Al Hamarneh7Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Canada.
  • Salah Aburuz1Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15551, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
  • Amal Akour1Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15551, Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
  • Eman Alefishat8Department of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Science, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, Abu Dhabi 127788, United Arab Emirates., 9Department of Biopharmaceutics and Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan., 10Department of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA.

Volume 23 Issue 3 Pages 1-8

DOI: 10.18549/PharmPract.2025.3.3201

Abstract

Background: Medication review (MR) services are essential in optimizing therapy outcomes. In addition to the barriers hindering its adoption, understanding community pharmacists' perception and practice of MR is crucial in formulating strategies to enhance MR services in pharmacy practice. Objective: To evaluate pharmacists' attitudes, practices, and barriers to providing MR services in the community pharmacy setting. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a validated self-administered questionnaire was distributed online to community pharmacists across the UAE using convenience-sampling technique. The questionnaire evaluated whether the pharmacists practiced MR, attitudes toward MR, the extent of its implementation, and the associated barriers. Stepwise regression was conducted to explore the variables associated with attitudes and MR practice. Results: The majority of the pharmacists (72.5%) reported providing MR, with a notable decline in engagement among older pharmacists (OR = 0.243, 95%Cl (0.113-0.522), employee pharmacists (OR = 0.909, 95% Cl (0.844-0.979) and those with no access to patient medication records (OR = 0.131, 95%Cl (0.052-0.327). The median attitude score was 27 out of 35, indicating favorable perceptions, particularly among pharmacists in chain pharmacies (OR = 2.974, 95%Cl (1.245-7.103). Employee pharmacists showed decreased odds of being in the high-attitude group (OR = 0.233, 95%Cl (0.076-0.714) and decreased odds to practice MR (OR = 0.192, 95%Cl (0.051-0.723) compared to pharmacists in charge or owner pharmacists. On the other hand, an increased number of working pharmacists (OR = 2.053, 95%Cl (1.381-3.052) and improved attitudes increased the odds to practice MR in the community pharmacy (OR = 2.617, 95%Cl (1.159-5.906). Conclusions: The study revealed a room for improvement in MR practice, especially among older and employee pharmacists. Enhancing the accessibility to specialized databases and authorized references, and enforcing pharmacists' attitudes towards MR practice via providing education and facilitating inter-professional collaboration are essential strategies to improve MR practice in the community pharmacy setting.

Keywords

  • Pharmacist
  • medication review
  • practice
  • attitude
  • community pharmacy
Pharmacy Practice

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