Investigation of Pharmaceutical Care Practice in Two Tertiary Health Care Facilities in Central Monrovia, Liberia

Abstract

Aims:  to identify elements of pharmaceutical care and to what extend it is practiced in these hospitals and to identify any drug-related therapeutic problems and determine the perceived importance of pharmaceutical care. Study Design:  A prospective, cross-sectional descriptive survey was carried out among hospital pharmacists and some selected physicians and physician assistants working at two major tertiary healthcare facilities in Liberia. Place and Duration of Study: John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, and Eternal Love Winning Africa Hospital, between August, 2021 and October, 2021. Methodology: Pretested structured questionnaires covering demographics and the key elements of pharmaceutical care documentation was administered randomly to 43 health professionals in these hospitals and collected for compilations and analysis. Results: Twenty percent (20.9%) confirmed the documentation of pharmaceutical care elements in both facilities, and 18.6% confirmed the documentations of interventions. Methods used in documentation are paper (13.9%), manual (72.1%) and computers (6.9%) respectively. Unnecessary drug therapy/unwanted indication, adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, need for additional drugs, dosage too high, dosage too low, wrong drugs, and inappropriate compliance are the drug therapy problems that exist at both facilities.  The overall percentage of all the drug therapy problems is twenty-five percent (25.6%), of which most are highlighted at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital, though these problems exist at both hospitals. There is an increase in drug therapy problems and a decrease in standard documentation format and method used to document pharmaceutical care at both hospitals. Thirty-nine percent (39.5 %) of the respondents recognized the importance of the documentation of pharmaceutical care (PC).  Conclusion: The study findings revealed that there is semblance of elements of pharmaceutical care activities at the both hospitals, but it is limited. Inadequate documentations of PC interventions coupled with primitive methods of recording PC data are highlighted by respondents. The practice of pharmaceutical care in the Liberia’s healthcare system can greatly improve the quality of pharmaceutical services and enhance the quality of life and therapeutic outcomes to patients/clients.