Science Journal of Public Health

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Patient Counselling at Dispensing of Medicines in Health Care Facility Outpatient Pharmacies of Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia

Received: 11 February 2014    Accepted:     Published: 30 March 2014
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Abstract

Background: Patient medication counseling on dispensing of medicines should give the patient clear and complete instructions on how to take or use drugs. The way drugs are taken by the patient is often influenced by the way drugs are dispensed and the type of information given during dispensing. The objective of this study was to assess and compare patient medication counseling in health care facility outpatient pharmacies of Bahir Dar city. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted from August 5 to 20, 2013 at selected health care facilities in Bahir Dar city. Simple random sampling technique was used to select health facilities. A total of 400 patient-dispenser interactions were selected using systematic random sampling technique from a randomly selected health care facility outpatient pharmacy. The data collection tool was adapted from WHO structure observation form and was modified according to the objectives of the study. Data were collected by non participatory observation of dispensing encounters using checklist. Data was coded, entered into EPI Info (version 3.5.2) and analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was computed to test the strength of association and level of significance. Finally, P-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: A total of 400 dispensing encounters were observed and the overall percentage of satisfactory counseling was 32.8%. The highest percentage of satisfactory counseling score was found in Bahir Dar health center (64.9%) and Adinas higher clinic (46.8%). The most frequent drug information given to patients at the time of counseling were unit dose (99.2%), frequency of administration (96%) and duration of therapy (74%). Differences in dispenser work experiences (AOR = 2.99, CI: 1.67 – 5.37), patient load (AOR = 2.87, CI: 1.83-3.69), average consultation time (AOR=3.42, CI: 1.64-7.13), level of health facility (AOR = 4.31, CI 1.94 – 9.59) and type of health facilities (AOR = 4.29, CI 1.72 – 10.66) were found to be associated factors for satisfactory counseling score. Conclusion: The process of medication counseling at dispensing encounters in health care facilities of Bahir Dar City is not satisfactory. Dispenser work experiences, patient load at dispensary, average consultation time, level of health facility and type of health facilities were found to be significant factors for satisfactory counseling score. Therefore, attention should be given to strong skill development, increasing manpower and implementation of regular monitoring for the application of dispensing ethics to improve patient medication counseling at dispensing encounters.

DOI 10.11648/j.sjph.20140202.22
Published in Science Journal of Public Health (Volume 2, Issue 2, March 2014)
Page(s) 126-134
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This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Patient Counseling, Dispensing, Medicines, Health Care Facility, Bahir Dar City

References
[1] Richard Pankhurst. Ethiopia's Historic Quest for Medicine: Medical Developments at the Time of Menilek, 2011.
[2] Girma B G, Mussie G H, Abrham W D, Yohannes A M. The Metamorphosis of Pharmacy Education in Ethiopia: The Case of Mekelle University. International Journal of Pharmacy Teaching and Practice, 2011; 2(3): 120 - 128.
[3] Addis Ababa University School of Pharmacy. School of Pharmacy Brief History, 2011.
[4] FMHACA/Ethiopia. Manual for Medicines Good Dispensing Practice; Second Edition, 2012.
[5] WHO. How to investigate drug use in health facilities: Selected drug use indicators. WHO/DAP/93.1:1-97 Geneva; 1993.
[6] WHO. Operational package for assessing, monitoring and evaluating country pharmaceutical situations: Guide for coordinators and data collectors. WHO/TCM/07.2, Geneva, 2007.
[7] Kumud K. Farai C. and Suryawadi S. Role of dispensers in promoting rational drug use, ensuring good dispensing practice, 1996; 11(3):1-21.
[8] Beardsley R. Oral patient counseling by pharmacists; proceeding of the national symposium on oral counseling by pharmacist about prescription medicines, 1997; 19-21.
[9] WHO. Policy Perspective on Medicines: Promoting rational use of medicines; Core components, Geneva, 2002.
[10] Michael. A. Jackson. Systematic Approach to prevent Medication errors, US pharmacist, 2003
[11] Melanic J. Pharmacists talking with patients. A Guide to patient counseling, 2nd edition, 2007; 68-72.
[12] Johanna D. Pointier and Lawrence H. Mokhiber. Important information regarding medication error preventing and patient and patient counseling, practice alerts and guidelines, 2004.
[13] Drug Administration and control Authority of Ethiopia (DACA), promoting rational use of drugs; drug information bulletin, 2004; 2(1): 1-10
[14] Zewdie D, Jorge Y. and Gebre Mariam T. A preliminary assessment of outpatient counseling in four referral Hospitals of Addis Ababa. Ethiop Pharm J. 1999; 17; 44-50.
[15] Abula T, Worku A, Thomas K. Assessment of the dispensing practices of drug retail outlets in selected towns, North West Ethiopia. Ethiop Med J, 2006; 44(2):145-150.
[16] Nasir T Wabe, N.J. Raju and Mulugeta T, Angamo. Knowledge, attitude and practice of patient medication counseling among drug dispensers in North West Ethiopia. JAPS, 2011; 01 (07): 85-90.
[17] Negru DS, Cristea AN, Petculescu AM. Patient counselling at dispensing over the counter medicines in the community pharmacy. FARMACIA, 2012; 60 (1): 102-110.
[18] Hussain A, Ibrahim MI. Medication counselling and dispensing practices at community pharmacies: a comparative cross sectional study from Pakistan. Int J Clin Pharm, 2011; 33(5):859-67.
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[20] Mulugeta T, Nasir T, Wabe N. Assessment of Patterns of Drug use by using World Health Organization’s Prescribing, Patient Care and Health facility indicators in Selected Health Facilities in Southwest Ethiopia. Journal of Applied Pharmaceutical Science,2011; 01 (07) : 62-66
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Author Information
  • Department of pharmacy, Bahir Dar Health Science College, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia

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    Wubante Demilew Nigussie. (2014). Patient Counselling at Dispensing of Medicines in Health Care Facility Outpatient Pharmacies of Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia. Science Journal of Public Health, 2(2), 126-134. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140202.22

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    Wubante Demilew Nigussie. Patient Counselling at Dispensing of Medicines in Health Care Facility Outpatient Pharmacies of Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia. Sci. J. Public Health 2014, 2(2), 126-134. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20140202.22

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    AMA Style

    Wubante Demilew Nigussie. Patient Counselling at Dispensing of Medicines in Health Care Facility Outpatient Pharmacies of Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia. Sci J Public Health. 2014;2(2):126-134. doi: 10.11648/j.sjph.20140202.22

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  • @article{10.11648/j.sjph.20140202.22,
      author = {Wubante Demilew Nigussie},
      title = {Patient Counselling at Dispensing of Medicines in Health Care Facility Outpatient Pharmacies of Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia},
      journal = {Science Journal of Public Health},
      volume = {2},
      number = {2},
      pages = {126-134},
      doi = {10.11648/j.sjph.20140202.22},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140202.22},
      eprint = {https://download.sciencepg.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjph.20140202.22},
      abstract = {Background: Patient medication counseling on dispensing of medicines should give the patient clear and complete instructions on how to take or use drugs. The way drugs are taken by the patient is often influenced by the way drugs are dispensed and the type of information given during dispensing. The objective of this study was to assess and compare patient medication counseling in health care facility outpatient pharmacies of Bahir Dar city. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted from August 5 to 20, 2013 at selected health care facilities in Bahir Dar city. Simple random sampling technique was used to select health facilities. A total of 400 patient-dispenser interactions were selected using systematic random sampling technique from a randomly selected health care facility outpatient pharmacy. The data collection tool was adapted from WHO structure observation form and was modified according to the objectives of the study. Data were collected by non participatory observation of dispensing encounters using checklist. Data was coded, entered into EPI Info (version 3.5.2) and analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was computed to test the strength of association and level of significance. Finally, P-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: A total of 400 dispensing encounters were observed and the overall percentage of satisfactory counseling was 32.8%. The highest percentage of satisfactory counseling score was found in Bahir Dar health center (64.9%) and Adinas higher clinic (46.8%). The most frequent drug information given to patients at the time of counseling were unit dose (99.2%), frequency of administration (96%) and duration of therapy (74%). Differences in dispenser work experiences (AOR = 2.99, CI: 1.67 – 5.37), patient load (AOR = 2.87, CI: 1.83-3.69), average consultation time (AOR=3.42, CI: 1.64-7.13), level of health facility (AOR = 4.31, CI 1.94 – 9.59) and type of health facilities (AOR = 4.29, CI 1.72 – 10.66) were found to be associated factors for satisfactory counseling score. Conclusion: The process of medication counseling at dispensing encounters in health care facilities of Bahir Dar City is not satisfactory. Dispenser work experiences, patient load at dispensary, average consultation time, level of health facility and type of health facilities were found to be significant factors for satisfactory counseling score.  Therefore, attention should be given to strong skill development, increasing manpower and implementation of regular monitoring for the application of dispensing ethics to improve patient medication counseling at dispensing encounters.},
     year = {2014}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Patient Counselling at Dispensing of Medicines in Health Care Facility Outpatient Pharmacies of Bahir Dar City, Northwest Ethiopia
    AU  - Wubante Demilew Nigussie
    Y1  - 2014/03/30
    PY  - 2014
    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140202.22
    DO  - 10.11648/j.sjph.20140202.22
    T2  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JF  - Science Journal of Public Health
    JO  - Science Journal of Public Health
    SP  - 126
    EP  - 134
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2328-7950
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjph.20140202.22
    AB  - Background: Patient medication counseling on dispensing of medicines should give the patient clear and complete instructions on how to take or use drugs. The way drugs are taken by the patient is often influenced by the way drugs are dispensed and the type of information given during dispensing. The objective of this study was to assess and compare patient medication counseling in health care facility outpatient pharmacies of Bahir Dar city. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted from August 5 to 20, 2013 at selected health care facilities in Bahir Dar city. Simple random sampling technique was used to select health facilities. A total of 400 patient-dispenser interactions were selected using systematic random sampling technique from a randomly selected health care facility outpatient pharmacy. The data collection tool was adapted from WHO structure observation form and was modified according to the objectives of the study. Data were collected by non participatory observation of dispensing encounters using checklist. Data was coded, entered into EPI Info (version 3.5.2) and analyzed using SPSS version 16.0. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis was computed to test the strength of association and level of significance. Finally, P-value <0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: A total of 400 dispensing encounters were observed and the overall percentage of satisfactory counseling was 32.8%. The highest percentage of satisfactory counseling score was found in Bahir Dar health center (64.9%) and Adinas higher clinic (46.8%). The most frequent drug information given to patients at the time of counseling were unit dose (99.2%), frequency of administration (96%) and duration of therapy (74%). Differences in dispenser work experiences (AOR = 2.99, CI: 1.67 – 5.37), patient load (AOR = 2.87, CI: 1.83-3.69), average consultation time (AOR=3.42, CI: 1.64-7.13), level of health facility (AOR = 4.31, CI 1.94 – 9.59) and type of health facilities (AOR = 4.29, CI 1.72 – 10.66) were found to be associated factors for satisfactory counseling score. Conclusion: The process of medication counseling at dispensing encounters in health care facilities of Bahir Dar City is not satisfactory. Dispenser work experiences, patient load at dispensary, average consultation time, level of health facility and type of health facilities were found to be significant factors for satisfactory counseling score.  Therefore, attention should be given to strong skill development, increasing manpower and implementation of regular monitoring for the application of dispensing ethics to improve patient medication counseling at dispensing encounters.
    VL  - 2
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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