Wilbur Kerry, Salam Samah El, Mohammadi Ebrahim
Qatar University College of Pharmacy, Doha, Qatar;
Patient Prefer Adherence. 2010 May 13;4:87-93. doi: 10.2147/ppa.s9530.
Self-care, including self-medication with over-the-counter (OTC) drugs, facilitates the public's increased willingness to assume greater responsibility for their own health. Direct consultation with pharmacists provides efficient professional guidance for safe and appropriate OTC use.
The purpose of this study was to characterize patient perceptions of pharmacists and use of nonprescription therapy in an ambulatory care population in Qatar.
Patients having prescriptions filled at one organization's private medical clinics during two distinct two-week periods were invited to participate in a short verbal questionnaire. Awareness of pharmacist roles in guiding OTC drug selection was assessed, as were patient preferences for OTC indications. Attitudes towards pharmacist and nurse drug knowledge and comfort with direct dispensing were also evaluated.
Five hundred seventy patients participated representing 29 countries. Most respondents were men (92.1%) with mean age of 38.3 years. Almost 1 in 7 did not know medical complaints could be assessed by a pharmacist (15.3%) and 1 in 5 (21.9%) were unaware pharmacists could directly supply OTC therapy. The majority (85.3%) would be interested in this service. In general, respondents were more comfortable with medication and related advice supplied by pharmacists as opposed to nursing professionals.
Patients were familiar with the roles of pharmacists as they pertain to self-medication with OTC therapy and described the desire to use such a service within this Qatar ambulatory health care setting.
自我护理，包括使用非处方药进行自我药疗，促使公众更愿意为自身健康承担更大责任。直接咨询药剂师可为安全、合理使用非处方药提供有效的专业指导。
本研究旨在描述卡塔尔门诊护理人群对药剂师的看法以及非处方治疗的使用情况。
邀请在某机构私人诊所两个不同的两周时间段内取药的患者参与一份简短的口头问卷调查。评估患者对药剂师在指导选择非处方药方面作用的认知，以及患者对非处方适应症的偏好。还评估了患者对药剂师和护士药物知识的态度以及对直接配药的接受程度。
570名患者参与了调查，他们来自29个国家。大多数受访者为男性（92.1%），平均年龄38.3岁。近七分之一的人不知道药剂师可以评估医疗诉求（15.3%），五分之一的人（21.9%）不知道药剂师可以直接提供非处方治疗。大多数人（85.3%）对这项服务感兴趣。总体而言，与护理专业人员相比，受访者对药剂师提供的药物及相关建议更放心。
患者熟悉药剂师在非处方治疗自我药疗方面的作用，并表示希望在卡塔尔门诊医疗环境中使用此类服务。
