Exploring the Use of Mobile Health Applications in Palestinian Community Pharmacy Practice.

BACKGROUND

Mobile health applications have become essential tools in modern healthcare, enabling professionals to access real-time drug information, clinical guidelines, and patient management resources. While globally embraced, the adoption of these apps in resource-limited settings like Palestine remains under-researched, particularly among community pharmacists, who are pivotal to the healthcare system.

AIMS

This study explores the perceptions, awareness, and challenges faced by Palestinian community pharmacists regarding mobile health applications. It aims to assess the feasibility of integrating these tools into their practice to improve pharmaceutical care and patient outcomes.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in 2023 among community pharmacists in Palestine. A self-administered electronic questionnaire was distributed via social media, targeting registered pharmacists. Data were collected using a structured, validated questionnaire addressing demographics, app usage patterns, perceived benefits, and barriers. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed using SPSS® software, with P-values ≤0.05 considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

The study included 400 community pharmacists, predominantly female (65.8%). Pharmacists frequently used information resources for verifying drug interactions (89%) and dosages (98%), citing quick access to reliable information as a major advantage. Barriers included time constraints (92.3%) and concerns about patient trust (77.8%). No significant associations were found between demographics (e.g., gender, years of experience) and perceptions of app usefulness or trust. A strong positive correlation ( < 0.001) was observed between community pharmacists' support for mobile health applications and their perception of the applications' reliability. This indicates that pharmacists who perceive mobile apps as reliable are more likely to support their use in practice.

CONCLUSION

Limited app use among Palestinian community pharmacists impacts medication safety, patient trust, and care quality. Adopting mobile tools can improve efficiency, reduce errors, and align pharmacy practice with modern standards, highlighting the need for future research.