Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Contraception. 2020 Mar;101(3):189-193. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2019.08.004. Epub 2019 Aug 28.
Pharmacists play a key role in contraceptive service delivery in Albania. This qualitative study explores the availability and accessibility of different contraceptive methods in Tirana, Albania, as well as the knowledge, opinions, and provision practices of retail pharmacists in the county.
In 2016, we conducted 16 in-person interviews with retail pharmacists in Tirana county, Albania. We also observed practices and dynamics in the pharmacies. We analyzed our data using descriptive statistics and for content and themes using inductive and deductive techniques.
Our findings suggest that although a number of contraceptive methods are available in pharmacies, there are numerous barriers to access. Pharmacists were both uninformed and misinformed about reproductive health technologies, in general, and hormonal contraceptives, in particular. Pharmacists reported that the lack of awareness, fear of judgment, and embarrassment among women are some of the biggest obstacles for women seeking contraceptives from pharmacies. Yet few pharmacists reflected on their own lack of knowledge and the role that health service provider misinformation and judgment plays in contraceptive service delivery.
Supporting continuing education efforts for pharmacists and pharmacists in training in Albania appears warranted. Improving pharmacists' knowledge of reproductive health technologies and fostering values clarification and transformation could address current barriers to access.
Our findings shed light on the barriers to contraceptive access in Albanian pharmacies. Developing strategies to raise awareness about contraception, training pharmacists to provide medically accurate counselling, and improving knowledge within the community through culturally and linguistically resonant education campaigns appear warranted.
药剂师在阿尔巴尼亚的避孕服务提供中发挥着关键作用。本定性研究探讨了在阿尔巴尼亚地拉那市不同避孕方法的可及性和可及性，以及该县零售药剂师的知识、意见和提供实践。
2016 年，我们在阿尔巴尼亚地拉那县进行了 16 次与零售药剂师的面对面访谈。我们还观察了药店的实践和动态。我们使用描述性统计数据和归纳和演绎技术对数据进行了分析。
我们的研究结果表明，尽管药店提供了多种避孕方法，但存在许多获取障碍。药剂师对生殖健康技术，一般来说，对激素避孕药，特别是缺乏了解和误解。药剂师报告说，女性对避孕的意识不足、害怕评判和尴尬是女性从药店寻求避孕的最大障碍之一。然而，很少有药剂师反思自己的知识不足，以及卫生服务提供者的错误信息和判断在避孕服务提供中所起的作用。
支持阿尔巴尼亚药剂师和药剂师培训继续教育的努力似乎是有必要的。提高药剂师对生殖健康技术的了解，培养价值观澄清和转变，可以解决目前获得避孕的障碍。
我们的研究结果揭示了阿尔巴尼亚药店避孕获取的障碍。制定提高对避孕意识的策略，培训药剂师提供医学上准确的咨询，以及通过文化和语言上有共鸣的教育运动提高社区内的知识，似乎是有必要的。
