Shawahna Ramzi, Awawdeh Hiba
Department of Physiology, Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An- Najah National University, P.O. Box 7, New Campus, Building: 19, Office: 1340, Nablus, Palestine.
An-Najah BioSciences Unit, Centre for Poisons Control, Chemical and Biological Analyses, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.
BMC Health Serv Res. 2021 May 6;21(1):429. doi: 10.1186/s12913-021-06458-5.
Among all cancers, breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and the leading cause of mortality among women in developing countries including Palestine. Community pharmacists are trusted and easily accessible healthcare providers who could be engaged in breast cancer health promotion. This study was conducted with the aim of exploring knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and barriers toward breast cancer health promotion among community pharmacists in the Palestinian territories.
This study was conducted in a cross-sectional design using a questionnaire among community pharmacists. Knowledge of community pharmacists of breast cancer was tested using a 26-item knowledge test. Attitudes and beliefs of the community pharmacists with regard to breast cancer promotion were explored using 14 items. Barrier to breast cancer health promotion were explored using 9 items.
Data were collected from 200 community pharmacists. The median knowledge score was 69.2 % with and IQR of 15.2 %. Of the community pharmacists, 67.5 % scored 50 % and above in the knowledge test. Multivariate logistic regression showed that community pharmacists who were female in gender were more likely to score 50 % and above in the knowledge test compared to the community pharmacists who were male in gender (OR = 4.73, 95 % CI of 2.26-9.89). The community pharmacists had positive attitudes toward breast cancer health promotion. There was a significant moderate positive correlation between knowledge and attitudes scores (Spearman's rho = 0.37, p-value < 0.001). Lack of reimbursement, lack of enough personnel, lack of time, and fear of offending the patients were the main barriers to breast cancer health promotion (percentage of agreement > 60.0 %).
This study shed light on the role of community pharmacists in breast cancer health promotion. Pharmacists had good knowledge of breast cancer and positive attitudes toward promoting the health of patients with breast cancer. Further studies are still needed to determine how to integrate community pharmacists in the team of healthcare providers caring for patients with breast cancer.
在所有癌症中，乳腺癌是最常见的癌症，也是包括巴勒斯坦在内的发展中国家女性死亡的主要原因。社区药剂师是值得信赖且易于接触的医疗服务提供者，他们可以参与乳腺癌健康促进工作。本研究旨在探索巴勒斯坦地区社区药剂师对乳腺癌健康促进的知识、态度、信念和障碍。
本研究采用横断面设计，对社区药剂师进行问卷调查。使用26项知识测试来检测社区药剂师对乳腺癌的了解程度。使用14项问题来探索社区药剂师对乳腺癌促进的态度和信念。使用9项问题来探索乳腺癌健康促进的障碍。
收集了200名社区药剂师的数据。知识得分中位数为69.2%，四分位间距为15.2%。在社区药剂师中，67.5%在知识测试中得分50%及以上。多因素逻辑回归显示，与男性社区药剂师相比，女性社区药剂师在知识测试中得分50%及以上的可能性更高（比值比=4.73，95%置信区间为2.26-9.89）。社区药剂师对乳腺癌健康促进持积极态度。知识得分与态度得分之间存在显著的中度正相关（斯皮尔曼等级相关系数=0.37，p值<0.001）。报销不足、人员不足、时间不足以及担心冒犯患者是乳腺癌健康促进的主要障碍（同意率>60.0%）。
本研究揭示了社区药剂师在乳腺癌健康促进中的作用。药剂师对乳腺癌有良好的了解，对促进乳腺癌患者健康持积极态度。仍需要进一步研究以确定如何将社区药剂师纳入照顾乳腺癌患者的医疗服务团队中。
