Behailu TEREFE, Mengist AWOKE, Dula DESSALEGN, Girma MAMO, Bezie KEBEDE, Temesgen MULUGETA

Community pharmacy practice and challenges amid the coronavirus disease-19 pandemic: A survey in southwest Ethiopia

The coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has challenged and forced the community pharmacies across the world to take various measures to prevent its spread. This survey was conducted to assess the community pharmacy practice and challenges in Ethiopia amid the coronavirus disease-19 pandemic. The survey was conducted involving 67 community pharmacy professionals in Jimma and Mizan-Aman towns in the period from November 25 to December 10, 2020. A checklist was used for the data collection, and descriptive analysis was conducted using SPSS V.22. In this study, druggists were higher in proportion than pharmacists (64.2% vs. 35.8%). Of the stock of the COVID19 infection protection supplies, facemask was well-stocked (73.1%), whereas most respondents (73.1%) reported no stock of face shields. Practicing a distance of >1 meter from the customers (85.1%) and keeping hand hygiene (83.6%) were among the measures reported to prevent cross-infection. Above two-third of the respondents reported an increase in verbal queries of the COVID-19 information (68.7%). Financial implication (89.6%) and staff cross-infection risk (89.6%) were the major worries reported by the respondents. In this study, some of the sociodemographic information were identified to affect the COVID-19 precautionary measures and challenges. In conclusion, the present study revealed problem with availability of some of the COVID-19 prevention supplies, like face shields (73.1%), requiring effort to avail. An increase in COVID-19 related queries from customers was also reported. The COVID-19 precautionary measures, such as practicing hand hygiene, physical distancing, and others were reported. The reported financial and other challenges of the COVID-19 needs mitigation measures.

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