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Exploring pharmacists’ perspectives about substandard and falsified medical products through interviews

Persson, Amelie LU ; Troein, Margareta LU orcid ; Lundin, Susanne LU orcid ; Midlöv, Patrik LU orcid and Lenander, Cecilia LU (2024) In Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy 13.
Abstract
Background
The problem with substandard and falsified (SF) medical products may grow in high-income countries when e-commerce of medicines increases. Unauthorized websites offer medicines of insufficient quality. This underscores the importance of evaluating how the problem with SF medical products can be prevented from escalating. However, little is known about what knowledge and experience professionals working primarily with medicines have about the phenomenon.
Objective

This study was conducted to explore purposively selected pharmacists' experience and knowledge about SF medical products.
Methods
Twelve individual interviews were conducted with purposively selected pharmacists between May 2021 and September... (More)
Background
The problem with substandard and falsified (SF) medical products may grow in high-income countries when e-commerce of medicines increases. Unauthorized websites offer medicines of insufficient quality. This underscores the importance of evaluating how the problem with SF medical products can be prevented from escalating. However, little is known about what knowledge and experience professionals working primarily with medicines have about the phenomenon.
Objective

This study was conducted to explore purposively selected pharmacists' experience and knowledge about SF medical products.
Methods
Twelve individual interviews were conducted with purposively selected pharmacists between May 2021 and September 2021. An interview guide was used with specific questions about e-commerce, which focused on exploring pharmacists' experience and knowledge about SF medical products. The interviews lasted, on average, 49 min and were analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis.
Results
A main theme ‘Pharmacists as guardians of safe medicines’ emerged. This theme consisted of three categories pinpointing ‘risk factors’, ‘protective factors’, and ‘opportunities for improvement’ regarding SF medical products. Findings suggest that pharmacists can play a role in preventing the problem with SF medical products from escalating. Participants emphasized they were in this line of work to help patients and increase patient safety.
Conclusions
Pharmacists have the opportunity to empower the public with knowledge about SF medical products since they discuss medicines with many people every day. Awareness of risk factors for SF medical products enables pharmacists to guide patients to avoid risky purchases from unauthorized websites. To do this, better communication, and cooperation with patients and other healthcare professionals are needed. (Less)
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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy
volume
13
article number
100421
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85185572515
  • pmid:38405083
ISSN
2667-2766
DOI
10.1016/j.rcsop.2024.100421
project
Substandard and falsified medical products, a threat to public health. A study of counselling in the first line of care.
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3fab66a8-74b0-4eb4-a3a6-679e1a86a4a4
date added to LUP
2024-02-20 08:05:51
date last changed
2024-05-22 03:00:02
@article{3fab66a8-74b0-4eb4-a3a6-679e1a86a4a4,
  abstract     = {{Background<br/>The problem with substandard and falsified (SF) medical products may grow in high-income countries when e-commerce of medicines increases. Unauthorized websites offer medicines of insufficient quality. This underscores the importance of evaluating how the problem with SF medical products can be prevented from escalating. However, little is known about what knowledge and experience professionals working primarily with medicines have about the phenomenon.<br/>Objective<br/><br/>This study was conducted to explore purposively selected pharmacists' experience and knowledge about SF medical products.<br/>Methods<br/>Twelve individual interviews were conducted with purposively selected pharmacists between May 2021 and September 2021. An interview guide was used with specific questions about e-commerce, which focused on exploring pharmacists' experience and knowledge about SF medical products. The interviews lasted, on average, 49 min and were analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis.<br/>Results<br/>A main theme ‘Pharmacists as guardians of safe medicines’ emerged. This theme consisted of three categories pinpointing ‘risk factors’, ‘protective factors’, and ‘opportunities for improvement’ regarding SF medical products. Findings suggest that pharmacists can play a role in preventing the problem with SF medical products from escalating. Participants emphasized they were in this line of work to help patients and increase patient safety.<br/>Conclusions<br/>Pharmacists have the opportunity to empower the public with knowledge about SF medical products since they discuss medicines with many people every day. Awareness of risk factors for SF medical products enables pharmacists to guide patients to avoid risky purchases from unauthorized websites. To do this, better communication, and cooperation with patients and other healthcare professionals are needed.}},
  author       = {{Persson, Amelie and Troein, Margareta and Lundin, Susanne and Midlöv, Patrik and Lenander, Cecilia}},
  issn         = {{2667-2766}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy}},
  title        = {{Exploring pharmacists’ perspectives about substandard and falsified medical products through interviews}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rcsop.2024.100421}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.rcsop.2024.100421}},
  volume       = {{13}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}