Banitaba Joshaghani Fatemeh, Sarahroodi Shadi
School of Pharmacy, Tehran Medical Sciences Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Tehran Medical Sciences Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
J Res Pharm Pract. 2024 Sep 26;13(1):1-6. doi: 10.4103/jrpp.jrpp_24_24. eCollection 2024 Jan-Mar.
Sleep is critical for good health and quality of life, but many people struggle with sleep disorders. Pharmacists are on the front lines, helping patients manage these problems. However, there is growing concern that some pharmacists are dispensing benzodiazepines over-the-counter and failing to provide proper counseling. This study examined how pharmacists in Iran performed in these areas.
Between January and April 2022, we conducted a cross-sectional study in three major Iranian cities, using a "simulated patient" to observe how pharmacists interacted with them. In total, 431 pharmacies participated, and we used detailed forms to record the pharmacists' behavior. We then analyzed the data using descriptive statistics and the Chi-square tests.
Of 549 visits, 78.5% were managed by pharmacists, whereas the remainder were managed by other pharmacy staff. 79.7% of pharmacists evaluated the patient before deciding whether or not to prescribe the medication and 58.9% provided a kind of counseling for their offered medication, but just 10.6% of pharmacies had a private counseling area. Despite regulations that require a valid prescription for benzodiazepines, 9.2% of pharmacies dispensed diazepam, and 13.2% dispensed alprazolam without requesting one, and when counseling was offered, it often lacked critical details.
These findings raise serious concerns. There are deficiencies in how pharmacists and patients interact, with many pharmacists spending minimal time assessing patient needs. The high rates of benzodiazepine dispensing without valid prescriptions and inadequate counseling point to a need for stricter protocols and more training. To address these issues, health-care professionals and policymakers must collaborate to improve the quality and safety of sleep disorder treatment in community pharmacies.
睡眠对身体健康和生活质量至关重要，但许多人都受睡眠障碍困扰。药剂师处于前沿位置，帮助患者解决这些问题。然而，人们越来越担心一些药剂师在非处方配给苯二氮䓬类药物且未提供适当的咨询服务。本研究调查了伊朗药剂师在这些方面的表现。
在2022年1月至4月期间，我们在伊朗三个主要城市进行了一项横断面研究，使用“模拟患者”来观察药剂师与他们的互动情况。共有431家药店参与，我们使用详细表格记录药剂师的行为。然后我们使用描述性统计和卡方检验对数据进行分析。
在549次就诊中，78.5%由药剂师处理，其余由其他药房工作人员处理。79.7%的药剂师在决定是否开药前对患者进行了评估，58.9%为所提供的药物提供了某种咨询服务，但只有10.6%的药店设有私人咨询区域。尽管有规定要求开具有效的苯二氮䓬类药物处方，但9.2%的药店配发了地西泮，13.2%的药店未要求处方就配发了阿普唑仑，而且在提供咨询服务时，往往缺少关键细节。
这些发现引发了严重关切。药剂师与患者互动方式存在不足，许多药剂师在评估患者需求上花费的时间极少。无有效处方配给苯二氮䓬类药物的比例很高以及咨询服务不足表明需要更严格的规范和更多培训。为解决这些问题，医疗保健专业人员和政策制定者必须合作，以提高社区药店睡眠障碍治疗的质量和安全性。
