Exploring pharmacists' perspectives about substandard and falsified medical products through interviews
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...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276624000167 |
| _version_ | 1827312308589690880 |
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| author | A. Persson M. Troein S. Lundin P. Midlöv C. Lenander |
| author_facet | A. Persson M. Troein S. Lundin P. Midlöv C. Lenander |
| author_sort | A. Persson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | 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. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T21:40:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-32817bd3e7ae43649f3cd8fd88027df1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2667-2766 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T21:40:15Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy |
| spelling | doaj.art-32817bd3e7ae43649f3cd8fd88027df12024-03-21T05:38:19ZengElsevierExploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy2667-27662024-03-0113100421Exploring pharmacists' perspectives about substandard and falsified medical products through interviewsA. Persson0M. Troein1S. Lundin2P. Midlöv3C. Lenander4Center for Primary Health Care Research, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Box 50332, SE-20213 Malmö, Sweden; Corresponding author.Center for Primary Health Care Research, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Box 50332, SE-20213 Malmö, SwedenDepartment of Arts and Cultural Sciences, Lund University, LUX, Helgonavägen 3, SE-22100 Lund, SwedenCenter for Primary Health Care Research, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Box 50332, SE-20213 Malmö, SwedenCenter for Primary Health Care Research, Department of Clinical Sciences Malmö, Lund University, Box 50332, SE-20213 Malmö, SwedenBackground: 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.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276624000167Public healthDrug-related side-effects and adverse reactionsQualitative researchSubstandard falsified medical productsPharmacistsProfessional-patient relations |
| spellingShingle | A. Persson M. Troein S. Lundin P. Midlöv C. Lenander Exploring pharmacists' perspectives about substandard and falsified medical products through interviews Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy Public health Drug-related side-effects and adverse reactions Qualitative research Substandard falsified medical products Pharmacists Professional-patient relations |
| title | Exploring pharmacists' perspectives about substandard and falsified medical products through interviews |
| title_full | Exploring pharmacists' perspectives about substandard and falsified medical products through interviews |
| title_fullStr | Exploring pharmacists' perspectives about substandard and falsified medical products through interviews |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring pharmacists' perspectives about substandard and falsified medical products through interviews |
| title_short | Exploring pharmacists' perspectives about substandard and falsified medical products through interviews |
| title_sort | exploring pharmacists perspectives about substandard and falsified medical products through interviews |
| topic | Public health Drug-related side-effects and adverse reactions Qualitative research Substandard falsified medical products Pharmacists Professional-patient relations |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276624000167 |
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