Pharmacy Services and Perception
Systematic Review in Public Perceptions of Pharmacists and Pharmacy Services
The systematic review will categorically aim on pharmacy services and establish the perception of the public and patients with the functions and services given by pharmacists and pharmacies. One of the significant and fundamental factor that will in the present days and in the future, in the pharmaceutical industry is a clear comprehension of the public needs, also depicted as the consumers, expectations, and as well as satisfaction.
Key words
Pharmacists – are also established as druggists who are professions in health and practices in pharmacy which is a heath science field and bases their focus on effectiveness of the use of medications.
Pharmacy– is the technique and science which is utilized in dispensing and preparing drugs. This is thus a profession of health sciences which utilizes chemicals with the main purpose of ensuring effectiveness and safety in the utilization of pharmaceutical products.
Differentiation– is the process of making products distinct from all the other similar products.
Abbreviations
NHS– National Health Service
CASP0– Critical Appraisal Skills Program
RCTs– Randomized Controlled Trials
Funding
This research did not receive any particular funding grants from agencies in commercial, public or from the profit generating sectors.
Methods: All relevant articles examining and identified published from January 2000 until December 2015 were searched using various search engine, bibliography searches and authors’ libraries. Studies were included if they: 1) quantitative and qualitative primary research papers, 2) any papers based on public perception of pharmacy services.
Results and Discussion: Forty percent (10 out of 25) of studies conducted in developed countries while sixty percent (15 out of 25) of studies conducted in developing countries. In both developed and developing countries, 60% (15 out of 25) of studies demonstrated the satisfaction of public perception towered pharmacists’ activities and pharmaceutical services while 40% (10 out of 25) of studies illustrated the dissatisfied of public expectation overlooked pharmacists’ role and pharmacy services.
Conclusion: The majority of the public in the review had a positive perception regarding the services offered to them by the pharmacist as well as perception towards their profession. It is, therefore, a good suggestion that there is is need to educate the public about the role of pharmacists and the services that should be delivered to improve the patients-pharmacists relationship and develop the pharmacists’ role and the services provided by pharmacies in this manner enhance the fulfillment of clients.
INTRODUCTION
Health and life sciences is a critical area, mostly given its connection with the daily lives of people. In that line, Pharmacists have been much about connecting with the individuals in matters relating to their well-being. In a more general perspective, the role of the pharmacists is the role of being as health enhancers. However, the use of pharmaceutical services has been on the rise in the last few decades. The shift experienced has been from a typical view of a pharmacist being mere medication vender to a position where the public now a visions them as doctors. Revisiting the case of the changes of roles in the pharmaceutical environment, it is clear that the public perceives their services in a different point of view.
Guirguis et al., (2005) postulates that further studies support the increasing involvement of pharmacists in the broader healthcare setting will demand transitions in behavior by pharmacists and the general public as a whole. Other researchers continue to show and support that attitudes, beliefs and views made a dominant part of practice as postulated by Jose et al., (2015). In that case, there was a need to look at the attitudes of consumers on the healthcare setting mostly pharmacists and pharmacy in addressing persons medical needs.
Objectives of the research about Public Perceptions of Pharmacists and Pharmacy Services
The main objective of the review was to scrutinize and observe the ideas, viewpoints, perspectives, and beliefs of the public concerning pharmacy as a field and pharmacists as having medical roles. Writers who offer nursing assignment help at Edudorm essay writing service notes that this systematic review identified that consumers and the pharmacists do have significant roles and specific responsibilities in their relationship, also depicted as a patient pharmacist professional relationship. It is at this point that the satisfaction of the consumer has been an essential component healthcare service.
METHODS
A systematic review of the current research evidence addressed the question ‘What are the public perceptions of pharmacy, pharmacists and pharmacy services?’ using the descriptive analysis method. Three electronic databases used in this review MEDLINE (PubMed), Scopus and the Cochrane Library. They identified all relevant articles published in English from January 2000 until December 2015. The search engine Google Scholar, which provides a broad search of academic articles from sources including theses, books and abstracts used to identify the papers published online that are not identified by the databases.
SEARCH STRATEGY
The following combination of search terms used in the search strategy with each database: (“public” OR “consumers” OR “patients” OR “clients” OR “customers” OR “users”) AND (“perception” OR “belief” OR “attitude” OR “view” OR “satisfaction” OR “expectation” OR “opinion”) AND (“pharmacy” OR “pharmacist” OR “pharmaceutical service”) AND (“pharmacist” OR “pharmacists”) AND (“hospital” OR “community).
INCLUSION CRITERIA
The inclusion criteria was: quantitative and qualitative primary research papers, papers related to pharmaceutical services perception, papers written in the English language, full text available and human adults studies.
STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION
Two techniques were used in examining the articles. First, the author identified, screened articles that retrieved from searching database, and scanning the title and abstract: The headings and conceptual screened adjacent to the enclosure criteria. Studies excluded based on titles, abstracts and removal of duplicates that did not related to the public perception of pharmacists and pharmacy services. Finally, the number of articles used and include in the systematic review was 25 articles in total (figure 1).
ASSESSING QUALITY
To assess the quality of selected articles in this review, papers screened against the appropriate CASP checklist and tools that have been authenticated, in ensuring that the studies evaluated and appraised. Authors who offer Medicare assignment help at Edudorm essay writing service points that there were 10 studies in developed countries assessed and critically appraised based on Critical Appraisal Skills Programme while 15 studies in developing countries assessed and critically appraised based on CASP tools.
Result of the Research about Public Perceptions of Pharmacists and Pharmacy Services
The results of the systematic review about Public perception of pharmacists and pharmacy services are developed through quantitative and qualitative research methods in both developed and developing countries. Experts who offer nursing writing help at Edudorm essay writing service indicates that there were a total of 37 studies which evaluate the pharmacists’ role and pharmacy services and met the design criterion; however, 12 articles that equivalent (35%) of these did not report any public perception of pharmacists’ role and pharmacy services thus were not included in the review (figure 1). The outcomes of the research on the attitude of the public on pharmacy attendants and pharmaceutical service in developed and developing counties are obtained through structured, semi-structured or across sectional study techniques.
STUDY DESIGN
In the study design of the twenty five studies, 32% of studies used to derive the outcomes through qualitative approach while 68 % of studies used to derive the outcomes through quantitative approach. In developed countries, the study design used to derive the outcomes was through 50% of studies quantitative approach, 40% (4 out of 10) of studies qualitative approach and 10% of studies mixed method. In the developing countries, the study design used to derive the outcomes was through eighty percent of studies quantitative and twenty percent (3 out of 15) of studies qualitative approach (figure 4).
STUDY AIM
In the study aim of the twenty five studies, six studies (24%) assess pharmacists’ role and pharmaceutical services, eight studies (32%) evaluate pharmaceutical services as health care provider and eleven studies (44%) evaluate pharmacists as having medical roles. Tutors who offer pharmacology course help at Edudorm essay writing service acknowledges that according to the study aim used to assessing pharmacy services and pharmacists’ role, there were 40% of studies conducted in developed countries while 13% of studies in developing countries.
Public Satisfaction on the Research about Public Perceptions of Pharmacists and Pharmacy Services
The articles outcome was expressed based on the satisfaction, expectation and perception of the customers and patient towered pharmacists’ role and pharmacy services in developed and developing countries. In both developed and developing countries, 60% of studies demonstrated the satisfaction of public perception towered pharmacists’ activities and pharmaceutical services while 40% of studies illustrated the dissatisfied of public expectation overlooked pharmacists’ role and pharmacy services. However, the fulfilment of public expectation towered pharmacists’ role and pharmacy services in developed countries was 40% of studies while 73% of studies in developing showed the public fulfilled. On the other hand, the dissatisfaction of public perception overlooked pharmacists’ role and pharmaceutical services in developed countries was 60% of studies whereas 27% of studies in developing revealed the public dissatisfied.
Discussion on the Research about Public Perceptions of Pharmacists and Pharmacy Services
The level of relevance attached to pharmacy and pharmacists seems unexpectedly not in tandem with the global acceptance and usage of health services when an evaluation is made to determine the perception people in developed and developing nations have regarding pharmacists’ role and pharmacy services. Key objectives of this paper are to help improving the pharmacists’ role and pharmacy services, the patients-pharmacists relationship, and the overall healthcare systems. The question is what are the public perceptions of pharmacy, pharmacists and pharmacy services?
In the developed countries the percentages of qualitative and quantitative studies were almost equal. They assessed public perception by statistical and psychological methods to cover their whole perception. However, 80% of the studies were quantitative and 20% qualitative in terms of the developing countries. There is a possibility that the quantitative methods are higher in developing countries due to illiteracy and the rapid rhythm of life for the population (Al-Arifi, 2012).
It is important to understand that some developed countries may have proper health care system but may have lack proper channels to administer the services. In the developing countries, the satisfaction levels were high (73%) due to the pharmacists quality services. Interaction created leads to the build-up of the new opinions which in the long run is crucial in promoting the quality of the service provision.
Strength and Limitation of the Research about Public Perceptions of Pharmacists and Pharmacy Services
The main strength of this systematic review is the first review conducted in field of public perception of pharmacists and pharmacy services nationwide. However, the differentiation from country to others in health care system, education level of resident, public culture and status of life may consider as limitation.
CONCLUSION
The systematic review demonstrates public perception on pharmacists and pharmacy services across the globe. It has reveals the majority of public had positives perception regarding the services offered to them by the pharmacists as well as perception towered their profession although suggests that steps and initiatives to improve clinical skills and social relationships. Satisfaction, on the other hand, comes to the act pharmacies embracing new actions which make the services better such as the counselling. Lastly, the case on the expectation as highlighted on the paper is connected with a factor of attitude. Therefore, there is dire need for public awareness that seek to educate populations on different aspects of pharmacist roles and functions. This type of research would provide a solid foundation for future research in professional or stockholder perception of pharmacists and pharmacy services.
