Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40205538›Full record

ArticleBMC health services research2025

Community pharmacists' support for nursing mothers in Serbia: potential cost savings due to breastfeeding continuation.

Aleksandra Catić Đorđević, Ana Stefanović, Milena Kovačević, Sandra Vezmar Kovačević, Ljiljana Stanković, Branislava Miljković

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC health services research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

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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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

6 authors.

Aleksandra Catić ĐorđevićFaculty of Medicine, Pharmacy Department, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia. aleksandra1610@yahoo.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5430-1819
Ana StefanovićBenu Pharmacy, Belgrade, Serbia.
Milena KovačevićFaculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Sandra Vezmar KovačevićFaculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Ljiljana StankovićObstetrics and Gynecology Clinic "Narodni front", Belgrade, Serbia.
Branislava MiljkovićFaculty of Pharmacy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDespite many health benefits to infants, the overall breastfeeding rate remains low among Serbian women. The community pharmacists' efforts aimed at supporting nursing mothers are important. The aim of the study was an evaluation of the pharmacists' training for breastfeeding support and their perception about its usefulness. The second aim was an evaluation of the provided structured pharmaceutical care service (SPS) over four months, through a calculation of theoretical cost savings for counseled families in case of the risk for introduction of commercial milk formula (CMF).

methodsThe continuation of breastfeeding instead of starting with CMF was theoretically monetized through cost savings analysis, which is based on energy equivalent human milk and CMF, regardless of the differences in health, social and ecology outcomes of breastfeeding. Cost savings for the counseled families were calculated as financial differences between continuing breastfeeding and switching to CMF.

resultsThe 256 pharmacists showed high satisfaction rates with the quality and the usefulness of the training (mean scores: content value 4.89 ± 0.51, technical value 4.91 ± 0.41, program value 4.96 ± 0.20, and usefulness value 4.94 ± 0.25, respectively), as well as a statistically significant higher level of knowledge (p < 0.001 for each of the 10 questions). The prospective observational study enrolled 256 community pharmacists who voluntarily underwent training aimed to breastfeeding support. Of all the trained pharmacists, 151 (59%) actively provided 1,243 SPS focused on breastfeeding support. Of all, 599 mothers of children under 6 months of age received SPS, while 590 provided full data In 275 cases (22.1%), a risk for early breastfeeding cessation was identified. The average age of children whose mothers had undergone SPS was 2.83 months, and the total average potential cost savings until 6 months of children age was 35,884.80 RSD (approximately 306 EUR) for average of 3.17 months.

conclusionsThe training of pharmacists adds significant value to their knowledge and skills for breastfeeding support, which may lead to potential cost savings for families.

Indexed as

Breast FeedingCommunity Pharmacy ServicesCost SavingsMothersPharmacistsAdultFemaleHumansInfant FormulaMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesSerbiaBreastfeedingCommunity pharmacistCost savingsCounselingEducational training

Identifiers

PMID40205538
PMCPMC11983895

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Registered trials

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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.