Pharmacy students’ knowledge and perception about the implementation of pharmaceutical care services in Jordan

Abstract

Background: The concept of pharmaceutical care was introduced to the literature by helper and strand before around thirty years, they defined it as "the provision of drug therapy for the purpose of achieving definite outcomes that improve a patient's quality of life". Jordan is still moving slowly toward implementing this service which showed numerous health and economic benefits since its implementation. Objectives: This study aimed to measure pharmacy the knowledge and perception of pharmacy students approaching the completion of their studies towards pharmaceutical care and their readiness to implement it in their practice after graduation. Methods: An electronic questionnaire was distributed via the internet to pharmacy and doctor of pharmacy students in public and private universities in Jordan. The questionnaire was composed of 35 question and was divided into three sections. Section one measured knowledge, while section two explored respondents' perceptions of pharmaceutical care. The final section collected respondents’ demographic details. Results: A total of 215 respondent took part in the study. The knowledge score of pharmaceutical care among respondents was 45%, although the vast majority of them stated that they completed at least one module regarding pharmaceutical care during their studies. On the other hand, almost 75% of respondents had a positive perception of pharmaceutical care in Jordan. Results showed statically significant differences among students regarding university type and academic year. Conclusion: Though respondents completed pharmaceutical care courses during their studies, they had low knowledge regarding the term and its implementation. Combining didactic and experiential education in crucial to build proper practice capacities among future pharmacists