Pharmacist Perceived Barriers to Patient Counseling; A Study in Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia

Background: Pharmaceutical care model (PCM) is the philosophy of practice that includes identifying and resolving medication therapy problems to improve patient outcomes. Patient counseling by a pharmacist is a fundamental step in health care practice, as it allows the patients to have an adequate knowledge about their drug therapy which leads to more adherence and less adverse effect hence better outcome for PCM. However, there are many barriers that may hinder this step.

The Aim of the Study: This study highlights the barriers to patient counseling in hospital and retail pharmacy at Eastern region of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A cross sectional method, with a developed survey questionnaire using a cluster sampling technique among pharmacists working in retail and hospital pharmacies in the Eastern region of Saudi Arabia, was used in the study. The responses gathered were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social sciences software (SPSS v 22) through descriptive and cross tabulation statistical analysis methods (P<0.05).

Results: A response rate of 88.4% was observed. Three-fourths of the population was Saudi pharmacist (76.6%) with almost equal number of male and female pharmacists. An overwhelming majority of the pharmacists (71.8%) were working in hospital pharmacy with a major qualification of B. Pharm and experience of >5 years. The pharmacists in retail pharmacies counseled mostly acute ill patients for over the counter medications whereas hospital pharmacists mostly counseled chronic ill patients for prescription only medications. However, the age group mostly counseled was the adults (18 to 45 years) in both cases. Regarding frequency of counseling, retail pharmacist counseled the patients most of the times (90%) whereas hospital pharmacists counseled with a frequency of sometimes (50%). The most common barriers observed during patient counseling were; lack of education and privacy along with the impatient behavior of patients as reported by retail pharmacists and time constraints of pharmacists along with gender difference as reported by hospital pharmacists.

Conclusion: Despite advances in the health fields along with the more expanded clinical role of pharmacists, some serious barriers still exists on behalf of pharmacists as well as organizational structure.