Barakat Hadeer Ehab, Aziz Christine Nazir, Abougalambou Salwa Selim Ibrahim
Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacy Practice, Ahram Canadian University, Giza, Egypt.
J Pharm Policy Pract. 2023 Nov 1;16(1):132. doi: 10.1186/s40545-023-00641-1.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are the most commonly used over-the-counter medications for the treatment of pain, fever, and inflammation. Gastrointestinal problems and renal complications are the most frequently observed adverse effects associated with NSAID usage. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the levels of knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding the adverse effects of non-prescription NSAIDs among community pharmacists in Egypt.
A 4-month cross-sectional survey, including licenced community pharmacists in Egypt, was conducted. The anonymous Google Forms survey was accompanied by a cover letter explaining its purpose. The survey link was sent to 2000 verified community pharmacist email addresses with clear instructions to complete and submit the questionnaire within 3 weeks. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted using IBM-SPSS version 26. The means of variables were compared using analysis of variance test. Pearson correlation was employed to assess the level of linear association between the overall knowledge, practice, and attitude scores. P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Approximately 80% of community pharmacists in Egypt exhibit moderate-to-good knowledge regarding the adverse effects of NSAIDs. Additionally, 60.6% of them demonstrated a positive attitude and 80.9% showed moderate-to-good practice scores towards preventing such adverse effects. The education level was the only demographic factor with significant effects on the NSAIDs-related knowledge, practice, and attitude scores. Community pharmacists primarily rely on internet sources for knowledge updates. Additionally, there was a significant positive linear correlation between knowledge and attitude (r = 0.384, P < 0.001), knowledge and practice (r = 0.178, P < 0.001), and between attitude and practice (r = 0.311, P < 0.001) among the participants.
Community pharmacists have a vital responsibility to perform screenings, assess patient risk elements, and share knowledge to guarantee the appropriate and safe utilisation of NSAIDs. Given that internet sources are presently the most accessible and used sources of information, governmental directions should prioritise the establishment and enhancement of freely accessible drug information sources for community pharmacists. Further research is necessary to assess the effectiveness of counselling and appropriate guidance provided by community pharmacies in promoting safe and proper drug usage.
非甾体抗炎药（NSAIDs）是治疗疼痛、发热和炎症最常用的非处方药物。胃肠道问题和肾脏并发症是与使用NSAIDs相关最常观察到的不良反应。因此，本研究旨在评估埃及社区药剂师对非处方NSAIDs不良反应的知识、态度和实践水平。
进行了一项为期4个月的横断面调查，纳入埃及有执照的社区药剂师。匿名的谷歌表单调查附有一封解释其目的的附函。调查链接被发送到2000个经过验证的社区药剂师电子邮件地址，并附带明确指示，要求在3周内完成并提交问卷。使用IBM-SPSS 26版进行描述性和推断性统计分析。使用方差分析检验比较变量的均值。采用Pearson相关性分析评估总体知识、实践和态度得分之间的线性关联程度。P值≤0.05被认为具有统计学意义。
埃及约80%的社区药剂师对NSAIDs的不良反应表现出中等至良好的知识水平。此外，其中60.6%表现出积极态度，80.9%在预防此类不良反应方面表现出中等至良好的实践得分。教育水平是对NSAIDs相关知识、实践和态度得分有显著影响的唯一人口统计学因素。社区药剂师主要依靠互联网来源进行知识更新。此外，参与者的知识与态度之间（r = 0.384，P < 0.001）、知识与实践之间（r = 0.178，P < 0.001）以及态度与实践之间（r = 0.311，P < 0.001）存在显著的正线性相关性。
社区药剂师有责任进行筛查、评估患者风险因素并分享知识，以确保NSAIDs的合理和安全使用。鉴于互联网来源目前是最容易获取和使用的信息来源，政府应优先建立和加强社区药剂师可免费获取的药品信息来源。有必要进一步研究评估社区药房提供的咨询和适当指导在促进安全和正确用药方面的有效性。
