Pandemic preparedness of community pharmacies for COVID-19
Pandemic preparedness of community pharmacies for COVID-19
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DOI：
10.1016/j.sapharm.2020.05.009
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发表时间：
2021-01-01
影响因子：
3.9
通讯作者：
Dewey, Rebecca Susan
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Bahlol, Mohamed;Dewey, Rebecca Susan
背景资料：社区药房提供了一种重要的医疗保健服务，这是广泛建立的，并构成了社区成员的首选和初步接触。Objective：The assessment of community pharmacists preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods：A cross-sectional interview survey of 1018 community pharmacists working in four regions of Egypt（South，East，Centre，and North）.数据收集于2020年4月8日至19日进行。结果：个人防护设备（PPE）和药物的可用性优于酒精（70%浓度）。49.1%的药店提供送货上门服务。高达99.5%的药房已采取涵盖员工之间互动的感染控制措施。相反，非接触式支付（29.1%）、洗手液（62.1%）或口罩（86.5%）供客户使用，或疑似COVID-19患者的单独区域（64%）的可用性较低。口头客户教育（90.4%）比书面（81.3%）更好。尽管有很高的临床知识和意识（97.6%-99.2%），只有8.8%的药剂师报告了疑似COVID-19病例，但这与药剂师人口统计数据有显著差异（地理区域P < 0.001;大流行培训P < 0.001;职位P = 0.019;年龄P = 0.046）。政府和决策者努力缓解个人防护设备和药品的短缺。应更多地关注围绕工作人员和客户之间互动的感染控制措施，以确保社区药剂师适合并能够在其重要作用中提供连续性。使用定期更新的海报，横幅或标志教育客户将有助于减少与患者的接触，并减少访问药房的次数和持续时间。社区药剂师的大流行准备工作还必须扩大到报告程序。通过避免漏报或漏报，社区药剂师将有助于准确监测全国感染传播情况。
Background: Community pharmacies provide an important healthcare service, which is broadly established, and constitutes the preferred and initial contact for members of the community. The significant value of community pharmacies was further highlighted during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis.Objective: The assessment of community pharmacies preparedness for the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A cross-sectional interview survey of 1018 community pharmacies working in four regions of Egypt (South, East, Centre, and North). Data collection was conducted from 8-19 April 2020.Results: Availability of personal protective equipment (PPE) and medication was better than alcohol (70% conc.). Home delivery services were available in 49.1% of pharmacies. Infection control measures covering interactions between staff were in place in up to 99.5% of pharmacies. Conversely, there was less frequent availability of contactless payment (29.1%), hand sanitizers (62.1%) or masks (86.5%) for customer use, or a separate area for patients with suspected COVID-19 (64%). Verbal customer education (90.4%) was used preferably to written (81.3%). Despite high clinical knowledge and awareness (97.6%-99.2%), only 8.8% of pharmacists had reported suspected COVID-19 cases, however this varied significantly with pharmacist demographics (geographic region P < 0.001; pandemic training p < 0.001; position p = 0.019; age p = 0.046).Conclusions: Government and policymakers strive to mitigate the shortage of PPE and medication. More attention should be given to infection control measures around interactions between staff and customers to ensure community pharmacists are fit and able to provide continuity in their important role. Educating customers using regularly-updated posters, banners or signs will contribute to decreasing contact with patients, and reducing the number and duration of visits to the pharmacy. Pandemic preparedness of community pharmacists must also extend to reporting procedures. By avoiding under-reporting or over-reporting, community pharmacists will contribute to accurate monitoring of the national spread of infection.