Knowledge, perception and practice of medication use review among community pharmacists in southwestern Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Medication use review (MUR) is an emerging concept in medicine management that has recorded success in many developed countries.
Purpose: To evaluate knowledge, perception and practice of MUR among community pharmacists (CP) in southwestern Nigeria.
Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 100 CP recruited from Oyo and Osun states between January and March, 2015, using a pre-tested  questionnaire. Demographic information and CP’s knowledge, perception and current practice of MUR were evaluated using open-ended, closed-ended and Likert-scale questions. Respondents’ scores for 6-item knowledge test questions and description of specific component of MUR services were categorised as score>3 (good  knowledge) and score≤3 (poor knowledge). Descriptive statistics were used to  summarize data. Ranked variables were evaluated using Kruskal-Wallis test at  p<0.05. Results: Fifty-nine (59.0%) CP from Oyo and 41(41.0%) from Osun state participated. Sixty-five (70.7%) had score>3 indicating “good” knowledge of MUR, while 27 (29.3%) had score≤3 suggesting “poor” knowledge. Forty-two (42.0%)  claimed to provide MUR service; of this, 14 (33.3%) had scores>3 indicating those who gave correct description of specific component of MUR. Lack of adequate time for counselling (49; 49.5%) and lack of specialized training for pharmacists  (45;45.5%) were cited as barriers to MUR practice. Majority (51; 51.5%) agreed that MUR service should be incorporated into community pharmacy practice.
Conclusion: Knowledge of MUR concept among community pharmacists in Oyo and Osun states is considerable, but description of specific component of MUR services by respondents was poor. There is therefore a need for continuous training on emerging concepts among pharmacists, so as to stimulate interest in patient-oriented service.

Keywords: Medication use review, Community pharmacist, Knowledge, Perception