Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35397543›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2022

Assessing the pharmaceutical care provision to suspected COVID-19 patients in community pharmacies: a simulated patient study.

Samar Karout, Hani M J Khojah, Rania Itani, Fatima Jaffal, Abdalla El-Lakany

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 17% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 14 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Observational
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Observational
  6. Upscaling the pharmacy profession: Knowledge and willingness of the Lebanese pharmacists to practice the administration of dermal fillers.Saudi pharmaceutical journal : SPJ : the official publication of the Saudi Pharmaceutical Society · 2022
    Article
  7. Observational
  8. COVID-19 Pandemic- Ethical Challenges for Healthcare Workers Practicing in Resource-Limited Settings.Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical Association
    Review
  9. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Samar KaroutPharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, P.O.Box: 11-5020, Riad El Solh, Beirut, 1107 2809, Lebanon.
Hani M J KhojahClinical and Hospital Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, Taibah University, P.O.Box: 30051, Madinah, 41477, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Rania ItaniPharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, P.O.Box: 11-5020, Riad El Solh, Beirut, 1107 2809, Lebanon. r.itani@bau.edu.lb.
Fatima JaffalPharmacy Practice Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, P.O.Box: 11-5020, Riad El Solh, Beirut, 1107 2809, Lebanon.
Abdalla El-LakanyDepartment of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, Beirut Arab University, P.O.Box: 11-5020, Riad El Solh, Beirut, 1107 2809, Lebanon.
Beirut Arab University · LBTaibah University · SA

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn the wake of COVID-19, community pharmacists (CP) were called upon to free up healthcare providers to treat more serious conditions and alleviate overcrowded healthcare centers. CPs were placed under tremendous pressure, where many patients primarily sought their health advice. This situation raised concerns about the preparedness of CPs in facing these challenges. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the appropriateness of pharmaceutical care provided by CPs to patients with suspected COVID-19 and to investigate their communication skills.

methodsA simulated patient (SP) study was conducted among randomly selected community pharmacies in Beirut, Lebanon. Each pharmacy was visited by the SP who complained of fever and loss of smell sensation. Interactions between the attending pharmacist and the suspected COVID-19 patient were documented directly after each visit in a standardized data collection form.

resultsMore than half of the CPs (56%) did not retrieve any relevant information to assess the patient's condition. While pharmacists' responses were limited to one to two recommendations, with the majority recommending the patient to perform the PCR test (90%). Inappropriate recommendations made by the CPs included mainly the confirmation that the patient had COVID-19 without prior testing (9%), and prescribing either an antimicrobial drug (5%) or dietary supplements (20%), claiming that the latter are essential to boost the patient's immunity. As for the pharmacist-patient communication skills, the mean total score was 2.25 ± 0.79 (out of 4), displaying nonoptimal and ineffective communication.

conclusionAn unsatisfactory and suboptimal provision of pharmaceutical care to a suspected COVID-19 case was evident. This may be a public health threat, particularly for developing countries that lack an efficient and unified healthcare system. The findings should alert health authorities to support and guide community pharmacists in assisting suspected COVID-19 patients.

Indexed as

Community Pharmacy ServicesCOVID-19 Drug TreatmentPharmaciesPharmacyHumansPharmacistsProfessional RoleCOVID-19LebanonPatient carePharmaceutical careSimulated patient

Identifiers

PMID35397543
PMCPMC8994087
OpenAlexW4223474952

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.