Perceptions of pharmacists towards drug shortages in the healthcare system of Pakistan and its impact on patient care: findings from a cross-sectional survey.
BMJ Open
; 11(12): e050196, 2021 12 23.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34949612
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
This study aimed to explore pharmacists' perceptions on drug shortages and its impingement on the Pakistani healthcare system, in particular on patient care.DESIGN:
Online questionnaire survey. SETTING ANDPARTICIPANTS:
Hospital pharmacists from five out of seven regions of Pakistan were approached; including the federal territory (Islamabad) and four provinces (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOMEMEASURES:
Prevalence and type of shortages were identified along with strategies to reduce its effect on patient care.METHOD:
A validated questionnaire was distributed through various online platforms to 800 registered hospital pharmacists. A convenience sampling technique was used to obtain information on drug shortages, the reporting system for shortages, the impact on patients and policy solutions for managing drug shortages.RESULTS:
Out of 800 hospital pharmacists, 708 completed the questionnaire (response rate 88.5%). Of these hospital pharmacists, 47% came from hospitals of Punjab, 26% from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 13% from Sindh, 11% from Balochistan and 4% from Islamabad; 72% and 28% worked in tertiary and secondary hospitals, respectively. The majority (32%) interacted with shortages daily. The top three drug categories reported in shortage were oncology drugs (54%), cardiovascular drugs (53%) and antimicrobials (42%). 58% of the respondents have seen care delayed as a negative consequence of shortages. 'Creating new communication system' (65%) and 'readjust budget plans' (41%) were the two most frequently indicated recommendations for shortages management at hospital, while 'circulars or alerts from the regulatory authority' (60%) and 'time to time directives from local health statuaries' (48%) were two most widely suggested policy solutions.CONCLUSION:
Drug shortage is a serious concern in Pakistani hospitals, experienced on a daily basis endangering patients' health. Enhanced communication is required, connecting the key stakeholders. Health policies should be reviewed; adequate funds should be allocated to the health sector preventing future shortages.Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Farmacêuticos
/
Atenção à Saúde
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Humans
País/Região como assunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
BMJ Open
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
China