Alnajrani Rashid H, Alnajrani Nouf R, Aldakheel Faisal S, Alhmoud Fatimah Y, Al-Makenzi Hajar A, Zahrani Hamsa Y, Lubbad Hana A, Alajami Hamdan N
Pharmaceutical Care Services, King Saud Medical City, Ministry of Health, Riyadh, SAU.
College of Pharmacy, Almaarefa University, Riyadh, SAU.
Cureus. 2022 Nov 22;14(11):e31769. doi: 10.7759/cureus.31769. eCollection 2022 Nov.
Background and objective At the height of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, numerous strategies were introduced by the authorities to contain the spread of the virus, which significantly affected people's lives and impeded their mobility. As the general public was unable to leave their dwellings, many digitalized pharmacist-led services were initiated to meet the public's needs for pharmaceutical care. The aim of this study was to ascertain the knowledge, perception, and willingness to utilize telepharmacy services and the determinants associated with these services among the general public in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methodology A cross-sectional survey involving participants recruited from the Saudi general public was conducted by using a validated questionnaire. We collected information regarding participants' demographics, as well as knowledge, perception, and willingness toward telepharmacy. The results were analyzed via descriptive statistics. The Mann-Whitney U Test was applied to assess the associations between knowledge, perception, willingness, and demographic variables regarding the utilization of telepharmacy services. Results A total of 273 Saudi citizens participated in the study; 71% (n=193) of them were aware of telepharmacy services. Many respondents showed a positive perception towards telepharmacy services and 83% (n=227) of the total participants showed their willingness to use telepharmacy services in the future. A significant association was identified between education, gender, and the knowledge of the participants regarding telepharmacy services. The demographic characteristics such as age, gender, and education, were not associated with the participants' perception regarding telepharmacy services. However, gender was significantly associated with the willingness to use telepharmacy services in the future. Conclusions Many participants had a fair knowledge and positive perception of telepharmacy services. More than two-thirds of the participants showed their willingness to utilize telepharmacy services in the future. However, further measures should be implemented involving strategies to increase the knowledge about telepharmacy by targeting the less educated among the Saudi population and those with limited access to technology.
背景与目的 在2019年冠状病毒病（COVID-19）大流行高峰期，当局推出了众多策略以遏制病毒传播，这极大地影响了人们的生活并阻碍了他们的行动。由于普通民众无法离开住所，许多由药剂师主导的数字化服务应运而生，以满足公众对药学服务的需求。本研究的目的是确定沙特阿拉伯王国（KSA）普通民众对远程药学服务的了解、认知和使用意愿，以及与这些服务相关的决定因素。
方法 采用经过验证的问卷对从沙特普通民众中招募的参与者进行横断面调查。我们收集了有关参与者人口统计学信息，以及对远程药学的了解、认知和意愿。通过描述性统计分析结果。应用曼-惠特尼U检验来评估关于远程药学服务使用的知识、认知、意愿与人口统计学变量之间的关联。
结果 共有273名沙特公民参与了该研究；其中71%（n = 193）知晓远程药学服务。许多受访者对远程药学服务持积极看法，83%（n = 227）的参与者表示愿意在未来使用远程药学服务。在教育程度、性别与参与者对远程药学服务的了解之间发现了显著关联。年龄、性别和教育程度等人口统计学特征与参与者对远程药学服务的认知无关。然而，性别与未来使用远程药学服务的意愿显著相关。
结论 许多参与者对远程药学服务有一定了解且看法积极。超过三分之二的参与者表示愿意在未来使用远程药学服务。然而，应采取进一步措施，包括针对沙特人口中受教育程度较低且技术获取有限的人群，实施提高对远程药学了解的策略。
