Knowledge, Perceptions, and Readiness of Telepharmacy among Hospital Pharmacists in Saudi Arabia
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Variable | Category | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|
Gender | Male | 222 | 54.01 |
Female | 189 | 45.99 | |
Age | 20–29 | 100 | 24.33 |
30–39 | 293 | 71.29 | |
40–49 | 16 | 3.89 | |
More than 49 | 2 | 0.49 | |
Education level | Bachelor’s degree | 192 | 46.71 |
Pharm.D. | 111 | 27.01 | |
Master’s degree | 84 | 20.44 | |
Doctorate degree (Ph.D.) | 12 | 2.92 | |
Other | 12 | 2.92 | |
In which country have you earned your latest pharmacy degree or training? | Saudi Arabia | 358 | 87.10 |
UK | 9 | 2.19 | |
USA | 21 | 5.11 | |
Australia | 6 | 1.46 | |
Malaysia | 3 | 0.73 | |
Egypt | 5 | 1.22 | |
India | 3 | 0.73 | |
Pakistan | 2 | 0.49 | |
Other | 4 | 0.97 | |
Nationality | Saudi Arabia | 400 | 97.32 |
Others * | 11 | 2.68 |
Variable | Category | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|
What is your area of work? | Rural | 154 | 37.47 |
Urban | 257 | 62.53 | |
Years of experience in pharmacy | Less than 5 5–10 11–15 More than 15 | 211 162 15 23 | 51.34 39.41 3.65 5.60 |
What is your job position at your hospital pharmacy? | Staff pharmacist Clinical pharmacist Pharmacy supervisor Pharmacy manager Other | 200 73 24 72 42 | 48.66 17.76 5.84 17.52 10.22 |
What is your hospital pharmacy setting? | Out-patient pharmacy In-patient pharmacy Clinical pharmacy Other | 119 116 72 104 | 28.96 28.22 17.52 25.30 |
What is the level of your healthcare institution? | Primary Secondary Tertiary | 182 91 138 | 44.28 22.14 33.58 |
Have you previously provided pharmaceutical services through telepharmacy? | Yes No | 150 261 | 36.50 63.50 |
Source of information | Local and international channels | 120 | 29.20 |
Social media | 222 | 54.01 | |
WHO website and social pages | 124 | 30.17 | |
Scientific journals | 104 | 25.30 | |
Ministry of Health website | 136 | 33.09 | |
Colleagues | 119 | 28.95 | |
Others | 135 | 32.85 |
Item | Response | Number | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|
Telepharmacy is available in Saudi Arabia. | Yes | 65 | 43.33 |
No | 13 | 8.67 | |
Don’t know | 72 | 48.00 | |
Information communication technology (ICT) knowledge is important for pharmacists in how to conduct telepharmacy. | Yes | 67 | 44.67 |
No | 15 | 10.00 | |
Don’t know | 68 | 45.33 | |
Telepharmacy played a big role during the COVID-19 outbreak around the world. | Yes | 66 | 44.00 |
No | 15 | 10.00 | |
Don’t know | 69 | 46.00 | |
Telepharmacy does require a strong Internet connection or high-performance technology. | Yes | 61 | 40.67 |
No | 17 | 11.33 | |
Don’t know | 72 | 48.00 | |
Telepharmacy provides better counseling in terms of privacy and length of the session. | Yes No Don’t know | 57 16 77 | 38.00 10.67 51.33 |
Telepharmacy solves the waiting time problem in most general hospitals. | Yes No Don’t know | 58 20 72 | 38.67 13.33 48.00 |
Telepharmacy is also involved in adverse drug reaction monitoring and reporting. | Yes No Don’t know | 55 20 75 | 36.67 13.33 50.00 |
Telepharmacy is conducted by drug information services during office hours and by emergency departments after office hours. | Yes No Don’t know | 55 18 77 | 36.67 12.00 51.33 |
Patients from rural areas can have more medication access and information via telepharmacy. | Yes No Don’t know | 55 21 74 | 36.67 14.00 49.33 |
Telepharmacy services can extend hospital pharmacy services outside office hours that do not offer round-the-clock pharmacy services. | Yes No Don’t know | 59 17 74 | 39.33 11.33 49.33 |
Items | Strongly Disagree | Disagree | Unsure | Agree | Strongly Agree |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Telepharmacy improves patient’s adherence to the medication. | 9 (6.00) | 8 (5.33) | 89 (59.33) | 35 (23.33) | 9 (6.00) |
Telepharmacy has a higher error rate for medication dispensing and filling compared to traditional pharmacy. | 5 (3.33) | 14 (9.33) | 91 (60.67) | 32 (21.33) | 8 (5.33) |
Telepharmacy enhances patient’s access to medications in rural areas. | 4 (2.67) | 7 (4.67) | 84 (56.00) | 44 (29.33) | 11 (7.33) |
Telepharmacy provides a complete privacy setting during the consultation period. | 3 (2.00) | 10 (6.67) | 86 (57.33) | 40 (26.67) | 11 (7.33) |
Telepharmacy increases pharmacist’s workload and commitment. | 3 (2.00) | 9 (6.00) | 87 (58.00) | 37 (24.67) | 14 (9.33) |
Telepharmacy helps patients save their money and travel time to reach the healthcare facilities. | 4 (2.67) | 6 (4.00) | 89 (59.33) | 35 (23.33) | 16 (10.67) |
I am willing to share my personal information on the online database when using telepharmacy services. | 5 (3.33) | 11 (7.33) | 86 (57.33) | 37 (24.67) | 11 (7.33) |
Telepharmacy minimizes the cost to establish a pharmaceutical business in comparison to the regular pharmacy. | 5 (3.33) | 9 (6.00) | 86 (57.33) | 42 (28.00) | 8 (5.33) |
Patient consultation via telepharmacy is effective. | 3 (2.00) | 10 (6.67) | 87 (58.00) | 41 (27.33) | 9 (6.00) |
Pharmacy schools should provide education programs on IT and telepharmacy to assist in the future utilization of telepharmacy. | 4 (2.67) | 7 (4.66) | 84 (56.00) | 40 (26.67) | 15 (10.00) |
Therapeutic drug monitoring via telepharmacy in rural areas is easily monitored. | 4 (2.67) | 11 (7.33) | 83 (55.33) | 40 (26.67) | 12 (8.00) |
Security is a greater concern in a remote site telepharmacy than in a traditional community pharmacy. | 4 (2.67) | 7 (4.66) | 81 (54.00) | 42 (28.00) | 16 (10.67) |
Telepharmacy helps to minimize the shortage of pharmacists. | 4 (2.67) | 8 (5.33) | 88 (58.67) | 38 (25.33) | 12 (8.00) |
Items | Strongly Disagree | Disagree | Unsure | Agree | Strongly Agree |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
I am ready to work on telepharmacy projects in rural areas, even without an incentive. | 19 (4.62) | 37 (9.00) | 241 (58.64) | 87 (21.17) | 27 (6.57) |
I am ready to work after office hours if needed. | 15 (3.65) | 20 (4.87) | 234 (56.93) | 108 (26.28) | 34 (8.27) |
I am ready to conduct drug counseling via two-way video consultation. * | 10 (2.43) | 20 (4.87) | 231 (56.20) | 120 (29.20) | 30 (7.30) |
I am ready to teach patients how to use their drug delivery devices through video consultation. | 8 (1.95) | 25 (6.08) | 217 (52.80) | 125 (30.41) | 36 (8.76) |
I am ready to undergo training in ethics and legal issues related to telepharmacy. | 8 (1.95) | 18 (4.38) | 231 (56.20) | 113 (27.49) | 41 (9.98) |
I am ready to face the implementation of telepharmacy in all healthcare settings. | 8 (1.95) | 22 (5.35) | 236 (57.42) | 106 (25.79) | 39 (9.49) |
I am ready to conduct a home medication review (HMR) through telepharmacy. | 8 (1.95) | 22 (5.35) | 239 (58.15) | 112 (27.25) | 30 (7.30) |
I am ready to reduce the risk of medication errors among patients through telepharmacy. | 10 (2.43) | 17 (4.14) | 228 (55.47) | 126 (30.66) | 30 (7.30) |
I am ready to carry the increment of workload when conducting telepharmacy. | 10 (2.43) | 27 (6.57) | 223 (54.25) | 109 (26.52) | 42 (10.22) |
I am ready to conduct medication reconciliation via telepharmacy services. | 9 (2.19) | 17 (4.14) | 224 (54.50) | 119 (28.95) | 42 (10.22) |
I am ready to perform remote prescription-checking using an automated medication dispensing cabinet. | 8 (1.95) | 21 (5.11) | 231 (56.20) | 115 (27.98) | 36 (8.76) |
I am ready to use applications and the Internet to receive refill orders and transfer prescriptions. | 12 (2.92) | 16 (3.89) | 231 (56.20) | 113 (27.49) | 39 (9.49) |
Years of Experience | Average Knowledge Score | p Value |
---|---|---|
Less than 5 | 0.42 | 0.02 |
More than 5 years | 0.38 | |
Years of experience | The average score for perceptions | p value |
Less than 5 More than 5 years | 0.39 0.28 | 0.003 |
Years of experience | The average score for readiness | p value |
Less than 5 More than 5 years | 0.41 0.31 | 0.008 |
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Ahmed, N.J.; Almalki, Z.S.; Alsawadi, A.H.; Alturki, A.A.; Bakarman, A.H.; Almuaddi, A.M.; Alshahrani, S.M.; Alanazi, M.B.; Alshehri, A.M.; Albassam, A.A.; et al. Knowledge, Perceptions, and Readiness of Telepharmacy among Hospital Pharmacists in Saudi Arabia. Healthcare 2023, 11, 1087. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11081087
Ahmed NJ, Almalki ZS, Alsawadi AH, Alturki AA, Bakarman AH, Almuaddi AM, Alshahrani SM, Alanazi MB, Alshehri AM, Albassam AA, et al. Knowledge, Perceptions, and Readiness of Telepharmacy among Hospital Pharmacists in Saudi Arabia. Healthcare. 2023; 11(8):1087. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11081087
Chicago/Turabian StyleAhmed, Nehad J., Ziyad S. Almalki, Asmaa H. Alsawadi, Abdulmohsen A. Alturki, Abdulaziz H. Bakarman, Alwaleed M. Almuaddi, Saeed M. Alshahrani, Meshari B. Alanazi, Ahmed M. Alshehri, Ahmed A. Albassam, and et al. 2023. "Knowledge, Perceptions, and Readiness of Telepharmacy among Hospital Pharmacists in Saudi Arabia" Healthcare 11, no. 8: 1087. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11081087