Background Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) pose a significant threat to public health, increasing morbidity and mortality rates globally. In the UAE, a national pharmacovigilance programme established by the Ministry of Health and Prevention encourages healthcare professionals, including community pharmacists, to report ADRs, although reporting is currently voluntary rather than mandatory. Timely and accurate ADR reporting is essential to enhance patient safety, minimise negative effects, and improve overall healthcare outcomes. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate community pharmacists’ attitudes and practices regarding ADR reporting and to explore the associated barriers and facilitators to provide this service.Methods In this cross-sectional study, a validated questionnaire was distributed online to community pharmacists across the UAE via social media platforms, such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and X. The study utilised a custom-designed questionnaire to assess community pharmacists’ attitude, practice, barriers, and facilitators regarding ADR reporting.Results A total of 533 pharmacists participated in this study. The median age was 35 years (30–42). The participants had an overall good attitude, but inadequate practice regarding ADR reporting. Lack of time (49%), poor communication with the patient (49%), reporting ADRs of multiple medications (37%), and lack of confidence to discuss ADRs with the prescriber (37%) were the most identified barriers to ADR reporting, while reminders (54%) and empowering patients (53%) were the most commonly suggested facilitators. Female pharmacists had significantly higher attitude than male pharmacists, while pharmacists who had B pharm showed less practice than those holding a post-graduate degree.Conclusion Pharmacists should engage in awareness and education campaigns aimed at enhancing their communication skills and increasing their confidence and abilities in reporting ADRs, with a specific emphasis on male and less educated pharmacists. Additionally, the integration of reminders and initiatives that empower patients can help overcome barriers to ADR reporting. These efforts have the potential to enhance medication management and boost patient safety.
Background Non-prescription short-acting beta-2 agonists (SABA) inhalers, used to relieve asthma symptoms, are widely available in community pharmacies. This study aimed to explore the perceptions and practices of community pharmacists towards the safe use of SABA inhalers in Malaysia.Methods A concurrent mixed-methods study was conducted from December 2022 to May 2023, involving qualitative interviews (n = 12) and quantitative online surveys (n = 312) among Malaysian community pharmacists. Qualitative data was managed through NVivo® software, and thematic analysis was performed. Descriptive data analysis, including Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests, and regression analysis were performed using IBM SPSS v.20 for the quantitative study. Subsequently, a comparison was made between the qualitative and quantitative data.Results Most community pharmacists commonly linked effective asthma control with fewer exacerbations (n = 12) (84.3%), and decreased usage of SABA inhalers (n = 12) (65.4%), in the qualitative and quantitative studies, respectively. According to the quantitative results, 40.7% of participants were concerned with the frequency and dosage of SABA usage by asthma patients OTC. While in the qualitative phase, community pharmacists (n = 12) emphasised proper inhalation techniques for safe and effective use of non-prescription SABA inhalers. Community pharmacists from both studies suggested that effective counselling, including allocating sufficient time for counselling sessions, could enhance the safe use of SABA inhalers. The most agreed-upon perceived barriers to safe SABA inhaler use in the quantitative results were patients’ lack of awareness of available services for asthma consultations and counselling (74.4%) and insufficient time to provide counselling services (68.9%).Conclusion Community pharmacists in Malaysia correlated good asthma control status with decreased exacerbations and SABA inhaler utilisation. Furthermore, community pharmacists were concerned about patients’ techniques, dosage, and frequency of use of SABA inhalers. However, asthma reviews, monitoring systems, and patient counselling were important suggested factors in ensuring safe and effective treatment in the community pharmacy setting.
Background LGBTQ+ individuals continue to experience persistent healthcare inequalities, partly due to limited training of healthcare professionals in LGBTQ+-specific healthcare needs. Community pharmacists (CPs), given their accessibility and role in frontline healthcare delivery, are well-positioned to provide inclusive and competent care. This study aimed to describe participating CPs’ self-reported knowledge and awareness, attitudes, professional experiences, educational exposure, and educational needs regarding LGBTQ+ healthcare, and to explore whether responses to selected items on difficulty providing care and participation in LGBTQ+ advocacy differed by demographic and professional characteristics.Methods We conducted a quantitative cross-sectional study in Thessaloniki, Greece, between October 2023 and January 2024, involving 305 CPs (59.8% of the 510 pharmacists invited). Data were collected using a 35-item questionnaire covering self-reported knowledge and awareness, educational exposure and preparedness, ethical perceptions, professional experiences and behaviours, advocacy and awareness activities, and demographic and professional characteristics. Descriptive statistics and unadjusted subgroup comparisons were performed using SPSS, applying independent-samples t-tests and one-way ANOVA, as appropriate. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.Results Participants reported generally positive attitudes toward LGBTQ+ patients; however, only 43.0% reported adequate training in LGBTQ+-specific healthcare needs. Participation in LGBTQ+ advocacy and awareness activities differed significantly across age groups (F(3,301) = 7.058, p < 0.001), with younger pharmacists reporting higher engagement. Advocacy participation also differed significantly across professional-experience groups (F(2,302) = 9.146, p < 0.001), with pharmacists with fewer than 10 years of experience reporting greater involvement than those with >10 years. Female pharmacists reported significantly higher advocacy engagement than males (t(303) = −4.089, p < 0.001). No robust statistically significant group differences were identified in self-reported difficulties in providing care across the demographic and professional characteristics examined.Conclusions While attitudes are positive, important educational gaps persist. This highlights the need for structured LGBTQ+ inclusive undergraduate pharmacy curricula and continuing professional development to ensure competent, respectful, and inclusive care for LGBTQ+ individuals.
Background Pharmacogenomics holds promise for personalised medicine, but its implementation requires effective integration into clinical workflows. Pharmacists, with their medication expertise, are positioned to play a key role in implementing these services. However, a comprehensive synthesis of evidence regarding pharmacists’ roles in pharmacogenomic implementation has been lacking.Methods A scoping review was conducted following a pre-registered protocol and PRISMA-ScR guidance. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and PsycINFO were searched from January 2015 to September 2026, supplemented by grey literature and reference screening. Studies examining pharmacist involvement in clinical PGx implementation were eligible. Data were extracted, critically appraised using design-specific tools, and synthesised thematically.Results From an initial yield of 870 records identified through database and grey literature searching, studies were screened, and eligible evidence was synthesised in this scoping review. Included literature comprised cross-sectional (n = 2), quasi-experimental (n = 1), case series (n = 5), qualitative (n = 1), mixed-methods (n = 1), descriptive implementation (n = 3), and an AI-based clinical decision-support evaluation (n = 1). Overall methodological quality was moderate to low, reflecting predominantly observational and implementation-oriented designs. Thematic synthesis identified key domains: pharmacist roles in PGx workflow integration, result interpretation, clinical decision support use, interprofessional collaboration, patient education, medication optimization, implementation leadership, and system-level barriers.Conclusion Pharmacists are central to successful PGx implementation across diverse healthcare settings. Although evidence supports improvements in implementation processes and prescribing decisions, robust evidence demonstrating long-term clinical and economic benefits remains limited. Future research should prioritise rigorous outcome-focused evaluations to support sustainable integration of pharmacist-led PGx services.
Background The World Health Organization (WHO) developed the Global Action Plan (GAP) on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in response to its growing threat to human, animal, and agricultural health. Countries worldwide were encouraged to implement National Action Plans (NAPs) to combat AMR. However, low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) face difficulties in implementing NAPs. This study aimed to investigate the implementation of AMR policy in Jordan and assess progress under its NAP.Methods Using the Implementation Research (IR) framework, this study involved documentary analysis of five policy documents and 17 semi-structured interviews with policymakers. Guided by the IR framework’s three phases (proof of concept, proof of implementation, informing scale-up), document analysis was conducted deductively, while the interviews were analysed inductively and deductively using thematic analysis supported by NVivo.Results Three key themes emerged: implementation challenges, strategy design, and outcome evaluation. Problem identification and context analysis showed that while Jordan's NAP aligns with the WHO's GAP, poor intersectoral coordination, limited stakeholder engagement, and weak enforcement hinder implementation. Participants noted unclear roles for policymakers, creating accountability gaps and inefficiencies. Implementation strategies showed that AMR interventions focus on hospitals, with little attention to other sectors (community pharmacy and primary care). Differences between public and private hospitals led to inconsistent enforcement, while unenforced community pharmacy regulation allowed for unregulated access to antibiotics. Monitoring and evaluating AMR interventions remain key gaps, with a lack of standardised frameworks, fragmented surveillance data, and insufficient monitoring capacity.Conclusion Although aligned with WHO’s GAP, AMR policy implementation in Jordan is hindered by systemic barriers: weak enforcement, limited stakeholder engagement, and fragmented accountability. A focus on hospitals left other settings with limited action or reinforcement. The findings highlighted the need for cross-sector coordination and robust monitoring. While context-specific, these insights may inform AMR governance in comparable settings.
