Medical doctors' perceptions and expectations of the role of hospital pharmacists in Sudan

Abstract

Aims: To investigate medical practitioners' perceptions, expectations and experience with the role of hospital-based pharmacists in Sudan.

Setting: Teaching hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan.

Methods: A self-administered, pre-tested, structured questionnaire was distributed to 300 randomly chosen medical practitioners of different grades and specialities in four teaching hospitals in Khartoum State. The questionnaire consisted of closed-ended questions.

Main outcome measures: The level of medical practitioners comfort to, and their expectations and experience of, a range of pharmacist roles and activities.

Results: The response rate was 66.7%. One-half (50.0%; 95% CI: 42.9-57.2%) of respondents never or rarely had interaction with pharmacists with regard to patient's medication, 36.9% (CI: 30.2-44.0%) and 13.1% (CI: 8.9-18.8%) had this type of contact once per week or once a day or more, respectively. Respondents were most comfortable with pharmacists: Detecting and preventing prescription errors (49.2%; CI: 42.0-56.5); monitoring outcomes of pharmacotherapeutic regimens and plans (45.9%; CI: 38.8-53.2); designing and monitoring pharmacotherapeutic regimens (43.4%; CI: 36.4-50.8) and suggesting use of prescription medications to physicians (40.3%; CI: 33.3-47.8). Respondents were least comfortable with pharmacists suggesting the use of certain prescription medications to patients (52.8% 'uncomfortable'; CI: 45.6-59.9). Respondents' expectations of pharmacists were positive for most domains.

Conclusion: Respondents appeared receptive to most statements regarding expectations of pharmacists, suggesting that many elements of patient-centred pharmaceutical care could be introduced with the co-operation of physicians. A key to extending the role of pharmacists in Sudan teaching hospitals should involve making pharmacists more accessible to doctors and patients, ideally, supported by an organised program of continuing professional development.