Do Professional Practices among Malaysian Private Healthcare Providers Differ? A Comparative Study using Simulated...

Area of Science:

• Pharmaceutical Practice
• Healthcare Delivery
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Malaysia permits general medical practitioners to dispense medicines, potentially impacting pharmacist roles and patient pharmaceutical care.
• This practice may dilute the pharmacist's contribution to healthcare and pharmaceutical services.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore, assess, and compare medicine labeling, patient counseling, and symptomatic diagnosis practices.
• To evaluate the performance of general practitioners (GPs) and community pharmacists (CPs) in Malaysia.

Main Methods:

• Utilized trained Simulated Patients (SPs) presenting with common cold symptoms.
• SPs visited private clinics and community pharmacies to assess labeling, counseling, and diagnosis.
• Data collected from 40 GP visits and 100 CP visits in Penang, Malaysia (June 2011).

Main Results:

• Pharmacists (64%) provided better patient counseling on medicine details compared to GPs (42.5%).
• GPs (80%) adhered more to medication labeling standards (patient name) than pharmacists (1%).
• GPs (100%) consistently inquired about symptoms, compared to pharmacists (87%).

Conclusions:

• Pharmacists demonstrated superior patient counseling, while GPs excelled in medicine labeling and symptomatic diagnosis.
• Separating roles of GPs and pharmacists could enhance focus and patient-oriented care.
• The study highlights areas for improvement in both professions to optimize pharmaceutical care in Malaysia.