Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Mar 22:24:e21.
doi: 10.1017/S1463423623000105.

Engaging community pharmacists in tuberculosis-directly observed treatment: a mixed-methods study

Yen Jun Wong  1 , Chern Choong Thum  2 , Khuen Yen Ng  1 , Shaun Wen Huey Lee  1   3   4
Affiliations

Engaging community pharmacists in tuberculosis-directly observed treatment: a mixed-methods study

Yen Jun Wong et al. Prim Health Care Res Dev. .

Abstract

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of implementing community pharmacy-based tuberculosis-directly observed treatment (TB-DOT) in Malaysia.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) eradication is one of the top priorities in the public health agenda in Malaysia. While public-private mix (PPM) initiatives have been launched, community pharmacists remain undervalued assets in TB management.

Methods: A two-phase mixed-methods study targeting community pharmacists was conducted in Malaysia between March and October 2021. The first phase was an online self-administered survey developed according to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The second phase was a semi-structured interview to allow deeper understanding on the quantitative results. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive analysis while qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis with a semi-inductive approach. The data were triangulated to enhance comprehensiveness and credibility of the findings.

Findings: The survey was completed by 388 community pharmacists, and 23 pharmacists participated in the interview. Most community pharmacists indicated their willingness to serve as TB-DOT supervisors (70.1%). Qualitative results supported the findings. Community pharmacy-based TB-DOT service was perceived as an avenue to improve TB management and outcomes and to enhance the professional role of pharmacists in TB service at primary care settings. This was also perceived as a feasible intervention with the potential to strengthen the National TB Control programme. This initiative needs be reinforced with adequate support from the public healthcare sector for a strong partnership in ensuring success.

Keywords: community pharmacist; directly observed treatment; mixed-methods study; public-private mix; tuberculosis.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.

References

    1. Al-babtain B, Cheema E and Hadi MA (2022) Impact of community-pharmacist-led medication review programmes on patient outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy 18, 2559–2568. - PubMed
    1. Antunes A, Gomes J, Belchior I, Loureiro AI, Carvalho A, Madeira A and Duarte R (2012) Involvement of pharmacies in tuberculosis treatment. European Respiratory Journal 40, 1581–1582. - PubMed
    1. Balogun M, Sekoni A, Meloni ST, Odukoya O, Onajole A, Longe-Peters O, Ogunsola F and Kanki PJ (2015) Trained community volunteers improve tuberculosis knowledge and attitudes among adults in a periurban community in southwest Nigeria. The American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene 92, 625–632. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bell CA, Ilomaki J, Pichenda K, Duncan GJ and Saini B (2015) Referral of tuberculosis symptomatic clients from private pharmacies to public sector clinics for diagnosis and treatment in Cambodia. Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice 21, 285–291. - PubMed
    1. Cai J, Wang X, Ma A, Wang Q, Han X and Li Y (2015) Factors associated with patient and provider delays for tuberculosis diagnosis and treatment in Asia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS ONE 10, e0120088. - PMC - PubMed