Sadia Shakeel
Dow University of Health Sciences, Pakistan
Title: Abusing Prescription drugs - a global health concern: Clinical Pharmacists’ outlook
Biography
Biography: Sadia Shakeel
Abstract
Abuse of medicines is a global health concern with negative consequences that varies from addiction, psychosis, cardiovascular complications, and premature deaths from inadvertent overdose. In Pakistan, prescription drugs, which are misused or abused by patients, are usually acquired from pharmacies. The objective of current study was to assess the attitudes of clinical pharmacists regarding interventions towards the abuse of prescription medicines (PM) in Pakistan. This transversal study was conducted for a period of 4 months by adopting a pre validated questionnaire distributed to clinical pharmacists simultanously in different hospitals of Karachi. Descriptive statistics were used to demonstrate participants’ demographic information and their response to the questionnaire items. Pearson’s chi-squared test was executed to evaluate the association of gender, age, organization, and experience of pharmacists with their response. A p value < 0.05 was considered as significant. It was revealed that mass population 77% claimed that they had sufficient comprehension of prescription medicine abuse. About 82% perceived drug abuse as a serious health issue and 90% was well versed that the role of pharmacist was very crucial in prevention of inapropriate PM abuse. Nevertheless respondents were not self-assured that patients would follow instructions, will respond positively and would like to make needed behavior changes. Findings from this study will assist health authorities to formulate appropriate health promotion interventions to control and prevent abuse of prescription medicines. Actions directed at early intervention, capacity building, education, public health initiatives and law enforcements will hopefully curb the menace of PM abuse.