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Evaluating community pharmacists' HIV testing knowledge: A cross-sectional survey
Journal of the American Pharmacists Association : Japha
|July 11, 2015
Summary
Community pharmacists have basic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) knowledge but lack understanding of HIV screening and in-home testing. Further education is recommended to improve pharmacist expertise in these critical areas.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacy Practice
- Infectious Diseases
- Public Health
Background:
- Community pharmacists play a vital role in public health, including managing infectious diseases like HIV.
- Understanding pharmacists' knowledge of HIV, antiretroviral therapy (ART), and HIV testing is crucial for effective patient care and public health initiatives.
- Gaps in knowledge can impact the quality of pharmaceutical care and patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the knowledge of community pharmacists regarding human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), its treatment with antiretroviral therapy (ART), and the use of new in-home oral fluid HIV tests.
- To identify specific areas where pharmacists' knowledge may be lacking to inform targeted educational interventions.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a questionnaire administered to pharmacists, student pharmacists, and technicians.
- The survey was administered prior to an educational program at the New Mexico Pharmacists Association 2013 Mid-Winter Meeting.
- The primary outcome measure was the community pharmacists' correct response rate, with an adequate knowledge threshold set at 75% or higher.
Main Results:
- The overall survey response rate was 89%, with 87 community pharmacists participating.
- Community pharmacists demonstrated strong knowledge of how HIV ART works (87%) and sources of HIV infection (84.3%).
- However, the 75% knowledge threshold was not met for HIV screening or in-home HIV test items. Only 65.1% correctly identified the minimum number of ART drugs for an ideal regimen. Pharmacist age was the only variable influencing knowledge, with an inverse relationship observed.
Conclusions:
- Community pharmacists in New Mexico possess adequate foundational knowledge of HIV and ART.
- There is a clear need for improved pharmacist knowledge regarding HIV screening and in-home HIV testing procedures.
- Future educational programs should focus on enhancing pharmacists' expertise in HIV testing to better support public health efforts.
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