Article Sidebar
Published:
Apr 3, 2008Keywords:
Article Details
Submission of a manuscript to this journal is a representation that the manuscript has not been published previously and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere.
All authors named in each manuscript would be required to sign a form (to be supplied by the Editor) so that they may retain their copyright in the article but to assign to us (the Publishers) and its licensees in perpetuity, in all forms, formats and media (whether known or created in the future) to (i) publish, reproduce, distribute, display and store the contribution, (ii) translate the contribution into other languages, create adaptations, reprints, include within collections and create summaries, extracts and/or abstracts of the contribution, (iii) create any other derivative works(s) based on the contribution, (iv) to exploit all subsidiary rights in the contribution, (v) the inclusion of electronic links from the contribution to third party material where-ever it may be located, and (vi) license any thrid party to do any or all of the above.
Main Article Content
Patients\' Perception of the Benefits of Pharmaceutical Care Services in the Management of Hypertension in a Tertiary Health Care Facility in Benin City
Abstract
Purpose: Measuring the perceptions of patients is essential in evaluating the success of therapy and needs of patients. The objective of this study was to investigate patients\' perceptions of the benefits of regular participation in pharmaceutical care services in the management of hypertension.
Method: In a cross sectional study, 285 systematically selected hypertensive patients attending consultant outpatient clinic in University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City (UBTH) were interviewed on the benefits of pharmaceutical care services they received from pharmacists, susceptibility to health-related problems and threat reduction associated with regularly meeting with the pharmacists, using a validated structured interview format with reliability coefficient in the range of 0.79 to 0.87.
Results: The patients rated medications supply and medication cost information provision as beneficial but rated patient education/counseling as fairly beneficial. However, patient monitoring, provision of nonmedication information and other specific information such as side effects, exercises, weight and blood pressure control were rated as “not beneficial”. The services provided by the pharmacists in preventing/reducing health-related problems were poorly rated. While the perceived benefits and thread reduction were not associated with age, sex and education of the patients or the type of medication taken, patients perceived a significantly lower chance of developing health-related problem when they
met with the pharmacists as compared to when they did not (P<0.001).
Conclusion: Although the hypertensive patients studied perceived that pharmacists contribute to the reduction in hypertension-related problems, they do not currently benefit much from the level of services offered by the pharmacists. Therefore, pharmacists working in UBTH needs to develop and fully implement comprehensive pharmaceutical care and the Health Ministries should work in collaboration with the relevant professional bodies to ensure that there is effective pharmaceutical care services in all health care facilities.
Keywords: Pharmaceutical care, perceived benefits, threat reduction, perceived susceptibility, hypertension.
Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical Research Vol. 7 (1) 2008: pp. 897-905
