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'Struggling to be a defender of health' -a qualitative study on the pharmacists' perceptions of their role in antibiotic consumption and antibiotic resistance in Romania

Ghiga, Ioana and Stålsby Lundborg, C (2016) In Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice 9(1).
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance is a serious global public health problem directly correlated to high antibiotic consumption. Romania is one of the European countries with the highest rates of antibiotic consumption, non-prescription antibiotics use and resistance of several pathogens to antibiotics. Pharmacists are an important stakeholder in respect to antibiotic management and context specific research on this topic is needed. The aim of the research is to increase the understanding of how community pharmacists in Romania perceive their roles in respect to antibiotic consumption and antibiotic resistance. Semi-structured interviews with 18 pharmacists were conducted to explore the perceptions and attitudes of pharmacists towards... (More)

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance is a serious global public health problem directly correlated to high antibiotic consumption. Romania is one of the European countries with the highest rates of antibiotic consumption, non-prescription antibiotics use and resistance of several pathogens to antibiotics. Pharmacists are an important stakeholder in respect to antibiotic management and context specific research on this topic is needed. The aim of the research is to increase the understanding of how community pharmacists in Romania perceive their roles in respect to antibiotic consumption and antibiotic resistance. Semi-structured interviews with 18 pharmacists were conducted to explore the perceptions and attitudes of pharmacists towards their roles on antibiotics consumption and antibiotic resistance. Manifest and latent qualitative content analysis was used to analyse interview transcripts.

RESULTS: Three sub-themes emerged from the analysis. 'Maintaining equilibrium between ethics, law and economy' expresses how pharmacists often feel when trying to fulfil their duties considering all the dimensions of the pharmacist profession.' Antibiotic resistance problem rooted in a low social capital environment' reflects the pharmacists' perceptions of the deep causes of antibiotic resistance and the underlying problems that perpetuate the status quo and impact their role in relation to this problem. Wanting to fulfil their educational role illustrates how the pharmacists feel they could best contribute to improving the present situation. The overarching theme 'Undervalued medicines' professionals struggling with agency related and structural barriers to meet their deontological duties'- meaning the ethical responsibilities that come with the pharmacy practice, reflects that the pharmacists see their roles as being challenged by several barriers.

CONCLUSIONS: A health system and societal context perspective is helpful in order to understand the pharmacists' roles in respect to antibiotic consumption and antibiotic resistance. Health promotion interventions and policy revisions should take into account concepts of structure and agency. These could highlight barriers that pharmacists encounter in their activities related to antibiotics management.

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author
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Contribution to journal
publication status
published
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Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice
volume
9
issue
1
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • scopus:84977555740
  • pmid:27042313
ISSN
2052-3211
DOI
10.1186/s40545-016-0061-y
language
English
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no
id
767ac9e9-c48f-42c6-a524-84e3bd0cf0d9
date added to LUP
2016-04-27 14:58:33
date last changed
2024-03-21 21:25:25
@article{767ac9e9-c48f-42c6-a524-84e3bd0cf0d9,
  abstract     = {{<p>BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance is a serious global public health problem directly correlated to high antibiotic consumption. Romania is one of the European countries with the highest rates of antibiotic consumption, non-prescription antibiotics use and resistance of several pathogens to antibiotics. Pharmacists are an important stakeholder in respect to antibiotic management and context specific research on this topic is needed. The aim of the research is to increase the understanding of how community pharmacists in Romania perceive their roles in respect to antibiotic consumption and antibiotic resistance. Semi-structured interviews with 18 pharmacists were conducted to explore the perceptions and attitudes of pharmacists towards their roles on antibiotics consumption and antibiotic resistance. Manifest and latent qualitative content analysis was used to analyse interview transcripts.</p><p>RESULTS: Three sub-themes emerged from the analysis. 'Maintaining equilibrium between ethics, law and economy' expresses how pharmacists often feel when trying to fulfil their duties considering all the dimensions of the pharmacist profession.' Antibiotic resistance problem rooted in a low social capital environment' reflects the pharmacists' perceptions of the deep causes of antibiotic resistance and the underlying problems that perpetuate the status quo and impact their role in relation to this problem. Wanting to fulfil their educational role illustrates how the pharmacists feel they could best contribute to improving the present situation. The overarching theme 'Undervalued medicines' professionals struggling with agency related and structural barriers to meet their deontological duties'- meaning the ethical responsibilities that come with the pharmacy practice, reflects that the pharmacists see their roles as being challenged by several barriers.</p><p>CONCLUSIONS: A health system and societal context perspective is helpful in order to understand the pharmacists' roles in respect to antibiotic consumption and antibiotic resistance. Health promotion interventions and policy revisions should take into account concepts of structure and agency. These could highlight barriers that pharmacists encounter in their activities related to antibiotics management.</p>}},
  author       = {{Ghiga, Ioana and Stålsby Lundborg, C}},
  issn         = {{2052-3211}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice}},
  title        = {{'Struggling to be a defender of health' -a qualitative study on the pharmacists' perceptions of their role in antibiotic consumption and antibiotic resistance in Romania}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40545-016-0061-y}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s40545-016-0061-y}},
  volume       = {{9}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}