ASSESSMENT OF PHARMACEUTICAL CARE SERVICES IN COMMUNITY PHARMACY
Author(s)
Lusine Nazaryan, PhD1, Artur Sargsyan, PharmD2, Sasun Nazaryan, Master’s degree3.
1Senior Lecturer, Yerevan State Medical University, Yrevan, Armenia, 2Yerevan state university, Yerevan, Armenia, 3Yerevan State Agricultural University, Yerevan, Armenia.
1Senior Lecturer, Yerevan State Medical University, Yrevan, Armenia, 2Yerevan state university, Yerevan, Armenia, 3Yerevan State Agricultural University, Yerevan, Armenia.
OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate pharmaceutical care services and assess patient satisfaction with these services provided by pharmacies. Additionally, it sought to identify factors influencing patients' choice of pharmacy in the country, as no previous studies have explored public pharmaceutical care services in Armenia.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1308 consumers utilizing pharmacies in various regions of Armenia, including Yerevan. The data collection instruments were developed by utilizing standard WHO (World Health Organization) survey questionnaires based on a comprehensive literature review. The questionnaires were divided into several sections and contained open- and closed-ended questions. The sample sizes for consumer research was calculated using the sample size formula, which has a degree of reliability of 97% and a permissible error rate of 3%. Based on Armenia’s population size of 2,972,700, a required sample size of 1,308 was determined. Data analysis was carried out using the SPSS software, specifically version 23.0.
RESULTS: The research reveals that a significant proportion of residents in Armenia (56.7%) engage in self-medication without consulting professional sources, posing potential risks and leading to dangerous consequences. This trend is partly attributed to inadequate advice from pharmacy staff, resulting in reduced confidence in their recommendations. Furthermore, nearly half of consumers (49.8%) expressed dissatisfaction with pharmaceutical care services provided by pharmacy employees, underscoring a pressing need for improvement in the quality of service delivery. Despite these challenges, the majority of consumers (59.9%) reported having a preferred pharmacy, with employee knowledge emerging as the most important criterion for pharmacy selection.
CONCLUSIONS: Collective action is essential to enhance the role of pharmacists and foster trust in them, thereby enabling better control over self-medication practices and reducing mistreatment, Investment in training and guidelines to improve the professional behavior of Armenian pharmacy employees is crucial for their effective integration into primary healthcare.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1308 consumers utilizing pharmacies in various regions of Armenia, including Yerevan. The data collection instruments were developed by utilizing standard WHO (World Health Organization) survey questionnaires based on a comprehensive literature review. The questionnaires were divided into several sections and contained open- and closed-ended questions. The sample sizes for consumer research was calculated using the sample size formula, which has a degree of reliability of 97% and a permissible error rate of 3%. Based on Armenia’s population size of 2,972,700, a required sample size of 1,308 was determined. Data analysis was carried out using the SPSS software, specifically version 23.0.
RESULTS: The research reveals that a significant proportion of residents in Armenia (56.7%) engage in self-medication without consulting professional sources, posing potential risks and leading to dangerous consequences. This trend is partly attributed to inadequate advice from pharmacy staff, resulting in reduced confidence in their recommendations. Furthermore, nearly half of consumers (49.8%) expressed dissatisfaction with pharmaceutical care services provided by pharmacy employees, underscoring a pressing need for improvement in the quality of service delivery. Despite these challenges, the majority of consumers (59.9%) reported having a preferred pharmacy, with employee knowledge emerging as the most important criterion for pharmacy selection.
CONCLUSIONS: Collective action is essential to enhance the role of pharmacists and foster trust in them, thereby enabling better control over self-medication practices and reducing mistreatment, Investment in training and guidelines to improve the professional behavior of Armenian pharmacy employees is crucial for their effective integration into primary healthcare.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2026-05, ISPOR 2026, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Value in Health, Volume 29, Issue S6
Code
RWD71
Topic
Real World Data & Information Systems
Disease
No Additional Disease & Conditions/Specialized Treatment Areas