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Community pharmacists’ perception of asthma: a national survey in Turkey

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Abstract

Objective

Suboptimal drug use in asthma patients is a common problem. Meeting the needs of patients and improving communication between healthcare professionals and patients are likely to induce better compliance to treatment. The contribution of community pharmacists, as healthcare professionals, to asthma care is often ignored.

The objective of this study was to assess community pharmacists’ understanding of asthma and to determine the perception of their role in asthma care in Turkey.

Methods

Two-hundred and fifty of the 20,133 community pharmacists in Turkey were selected as representing each city, and received questionnaires which, apart from demographic queries, asked for agreement or not with given statements.

Main outcome measure

General knowledge and perception of the pharmacists on their role in asthma management.

Results

174 Pharmacists completed the questionnaire. Although most (66%) were satisfied with their level of knowledge in their specialty, they reported lower levels of knowledge for asthma (52%) and a need for further education (80%). 65% Believed they play a critical role in asthma care, nearly 75% preferred to referent the patient to a physician rather than counsel the patient directly. Delivery of rescue medication without prescription was extensive (91% of pharmacists) and almost half had low expectation of the treatment in terms of disease control. Between 20 and 40% of the pharmacists did not find that they were sufficiently qualified in the handling of inhalers and in inhalation technique.

Conclusions

This national survey provides insight into community pharmacists’ perceptions by emphasizing their belief that they have a vital role in asthma care as both community leader and pharmacist. It also documents the need for further education and training. Improved communication and collaboration between healthcare professionals and pharmacists may contribute to improved asthma care.

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Acknowledgments

We are indebted to the pharmacists who gave of their time to complete the questionnaires and to Professor Fethi Sahin, Head of the Academy for Pharmacists of the Turkish Pharmacists’ Association, for providing data on pharmacists in Turkey. We are also grateful to Ceylan Denktasci, secretary, for her invaluable assistance.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatric Allergy and Asthma Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Hacettepe University, 06100, Ankara, Turkey

    Evrim Alyamaç Dizdar, Ersoy Civelek & Bulent Enis Sekerel

Authors
  1. Evrim Alyamaç Dizdar
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  2. Ersoy Civelek
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  3. Bulent Enis Sekerel
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bulent Enis Sekerel.

Appendix

Appendix

Key items of the questionnaire

Presented hereunder are statements about asthma disease/education/drugs. Please express your agreement or not with each statement according to the scale:

4—Strongly agree; 3—Agree; 2—Undecided; 1—Disagree; 0—Strongly disagree

  Asthma disease
Full size table
  Asthma and education
Full size table
  Asthma and drugs
Full size table

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Dizdar, E.A., Civelek, E. & Sekerel, B.E. Community pharmacists’ perception of asthma: a national survey in Turkey. Pharm World Sci 29, 199–204 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-006-9071-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-006-9071-1

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