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Community pharmacists' perceptions and practices regarding medication home delivery service: a cross-sectional study
Hala Alobaidi1, Feras Jirjees2,3, Mohanad Odeh4
1Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates.
Objectives:
The healthcare sector is evolving with a growing emphasis on remote services and patient-centred care. Medication Home Delivery (MHD) service has become essential in enhancing accessibility, allowing patients to receive medications at home. This study evaluates the perceptions, practices, challenges, and benefits of the MHD service among community pharmacists in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), providing insights for policy and practice improvements.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 403 licensed community pharmacists in the UAE. Participants completed a self-administered questionnaire assessing their awareness, perceptions, and experiences with the MHD service. Data analysis included descriptive statistics and logistic regression to identify factors influencing service provision.
Key Findings:
Among respondents, 83.6% offered the MHD service, primarily through online platforms. Main factors influencing service provision included participants' age, employment status, pharmacy type, and location (P < .05). Pharmacists raised concerns about patient counseling quality, communication, and medication security, highlighting the need for training to improve regulatory adherence. Major challenges included staffing shortages (51.6%), increased workload (36.5%), and limited time for patient counseling (41.2%). Despite these barriers, most pharmacists recognized MHD's benefits in enhancing pharmacy efficiency (87.2%) and patient convenience (51.3%), particularly for elderly and disabled individuals (86.9%). Those not offering the MHD service cited unclear policies (24.2%) and logistical constraints as primary barriers (24.2%).
Conclusions:
This study underscores both the opportunities and operational challenges of the MHD service in the UAE community pharmacies. Optimizing the service requires policy refinements, improved logistical frameworks, and targeted training programs to enhance service delivery, regulatory compliance, and patient care outcomes.
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