To lower the cost and enhance the quality of healthcare service, the Taiwan government launched National Health Insurance (NHI) in 1995 and the System of Separation of Medicine and Pharmacy in 1997. After the separation of dispensing and prescribing (SDP), pharmacists in NHI-contracted pharmacies have the right to fill prescriptions from a clinic. This means that pharmacists in NHI-contracted p...

RATIONALE, AIMS AND OBJECTIVES In Nigeria, a shift from the traditional pharmacists' role of dispensing and compounding of medications began in the 1980s with the introduction of drug information services and unit dose-dispensing systems in some hospitals. More than three decades after this, clinical pharmacy practice is still underdeveloped. This study was conducted to explore stakeholders' vi...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES Many dispensing errors occur in the hospital, and these can endanger patients. The purpose of this study was to assess the rate of dispensing errors by a unit dose drug dispensing system, to categorize the most frequent types of errors, and to evaluate their potential clinical significance. METHODS A prospective study using a direct observation method to detect med...

BACKGROUND Dispensing errors are inevitable occurrences in community pharmacies across the world. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to identify the community pharmacists' perception towards dispensing errors in the community pharmacies in Gondar town, Northwest Ethiopia. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted among 47 community pharmacists selected through convenience sampling. Data were an...

OBJECTIVE This study was intended to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of pediatricians and pharmacists about sugar free medications (SFMs) and their impact on oral health. MATERIALS AND METHODS Self-administered close ended questionnaire was handed out to all pediatricians and pharmacists in five tertiary hospitals in Riyadh (King Khalid University Hospital, King Saud Medical City,...

Background: Nowadays pharmacists should be involved in patients care and providing pharmaceutical care more than before, but still there is a gap between standard of care and pharmacy practice in pharmacies. Objective: In this study we aimed at evaluating the pharmacists experiences and attitudes about ethical professional practice in pharmacies. Setting: The study was conducted in the Tehran ...

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to explore the perceptions of physicians operating within the boundaries of Dubai on the role of community pharmacists. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were done with 12 physicians working within the boundaries of Dubai Health Authority. Interviews mainly focused on understanding the perceptions of physicians on the role of community pharmacists in additi...

BACKGROUND Worldwide Ministries of Health (MoH) are encouraged to publish an updated Over-the-Counter (OTC)-Directory that pharmacists should adhere to in dispensing non-prescription medications. The Saudi Ministry of Health has published the OTC-Directory in the year 2000, and since then, it was readily available to all practicing pharmacists at no cost. This study was aimed to investigate the...

Background. Community pharmacists are key healthcare professionals for antimicrobial stewardship programs owing to their role in dispensing of antimicrobials. The aim of the present study was to assess the perception and practices of community pharmacists towards antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in Ethiopia. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was conducted by selecting pharmacy sites through stra...

BACKGROUND Adolescents often face barriers to health care. As pharmacists' scope of practice expands, they may be in positions to decrease barriers to care for adolescents. OBJECTIVE To describe pharmacists' attitudes toward and practices with adolescents. DESIGN Cross-sectional self-administered survey of chief pharmacists at 1361 Indiana pharmacies. Survey items inquired about sociodemogr...