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Baratta F, Enri LR, Brusa P. Community pharmacists as vaccinators in the SARS-CoV-2 immunization campaign: implications beyond the pandemic. Health Policy 2023; 131:104798. [PMID: 36966630 PMCID: PMC10030261 DOI: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2023.104798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
Italy was one of the last European countries to introduce vaccination in pharmacies. The urgent need to extend the vaccination campaign against SARS-CoV-2 led to the approval of Law no. 178/2020. The Law allowed the administration of COVID-19 vaccines in Italian pharmacies by community pharmacists on an experimental basis for the years 2021-2022. Stakeholders took contrasting positions on the idea of enabling pharmacist to vaccinate after proper training. Sometimes, controversy existed even within the same associations representing pharmacists. As observed in other countries, the medical profession in Italy also expressed its opposition to the idea of pharmacists as vaccinators, while the general public and pharmacy customers were generally in favour of the policy. Over two million doses of SARS-CoV-vaccines were administered in Italian pharmacies in less than one year after the introduction of the policy. Criticism and concerns raised during the debate about the introduction of vaccination in pharmacies has subsided. It is yet unclear whether vaccination in pharmacies will be prolonged after the pandemic and whether it will, in fact, be expanded to other vaccines. Potentially, this could contribute towards increasing immunisation rates, not only for COVID-19, but also for other vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Baratta
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | | | - Paola Brusa
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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Sniffer dogs performance is stable over time in detecting COVID-19 positive samples and agrees with the rapid antigen test in the field. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3679. [PMID: 36872400 PMCID: PMC9985821 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30897-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid antigen diagnostic (RAD) tests have been developed for the identification of the SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, they require nasopharyngeal or nasal swab, which is invasive, uncomfortable, and aerosolising. The use of saliva test was also proposed but has not yet been validated. Trained dogs may efficiently smell the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in biological samples of infected people, but further validation is needed both in laboratory and in field. The present study aimed to (1) assess and validate the stability over a specific time period of COVID-19 detection in humans' armpit sweat by trained dogs thanks to a double-blind laboratory test-retest design, and (2) assess this ability when sniffing people directly. Dogs were not trained to discriminate against other infections. For all dogs (n. 3), the laboratory test on 360 samples yielded 93% sensitivity and 99% specificity, an 88% agreement with the Rt-PCR, and a moderate to strong test-retest correlation. When sniffing people directly (n. 97), dogs' (n. 5) overall sensitivity (89%) and specificity (95%) were significantly above chance level. An almost perfect agreement with RAD results was found (kappa 0.83, SE 0.05, p = 0.001). Therefore, sniffer dogs met appropriate criteria (e.g., repeatability) and WHO's target product profiles for COVID-19 diagnostics and produced very promising results in laboratory and field settings, respectively. These findings support the idea that biodetection dogs could help reduce the spread of the virus in high-risk environments, including airports, schools, and public transport.
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Baratta F, Folpini E, Ciccolella M, Brusa P. Patient Care in Community Pharmacies during the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Pandemic: Effectiveness of Post-Graduate Education and Further Training Courses on Revenues. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:3774. [PMID: 36900788 PMCID: PMC10000959 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20053774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Thanks to their distribution throughout the territory and extended opening hours, community pharmacists are among the healthcare specialists most easily accessible to the public and often represent the first point of consultation both for the treatment of acute health conditions and, more generally, for health and therapy advice. The objective of the present study was to evaluate whether post-graduate courses/further training courses for pharmacists might influence the quality of patient management and care and, consequently, the satisfaction of the users who entered the pharmacy. We used the revenues of the pharmacies (Group A) in which these pharmacists are employed as a performance indicator. We compared the data for this group with the national averages for Italian pharmacies (Group B) and with those of a group (Group C) of selected pharmacies as similar as possible to the pharmacies in Group A based on a number of well-defined parameters. The comparison of revenues, year-on-year changes, and the average number of sales by the pharmacies in the three groups indicates that the pharmacies in Group A had the best performance, not only when compared with the national average but especially compared with the control group, specifically selected to make the comparison as significant as possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Baratta
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Turin, Italy
| | - Elena Folpini
- New Line Ricerche di Mercato, Via Riccardo Lombardi 19/10, 20153 Milano, Italy
| | | | - Paola Brusa
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Turin, Italy
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Kambayashi D, Manabe T, Hirohara M. Adaptations in the role of pharmacists under the conditions of the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:72. [PMID: 36691043 PMCID: PMC9870779 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09071-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Community pharmacists actively engage in managing the health of local residents, but the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated rapid adaptations in practice activities. OBJECTIVES We sought to identify the specific adaptations in practice and the expanded roles of community pharmacists in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS We conducted a systematic review of published studies reporting the tasks of pharmacists in community pharmacies or who were involved in pharmacy practices addressing the pandemic. Two investigators independently searched PubMed (December 2019-January 2022) for eligible articles. We conducted a meta-analysis to measure the frequencies of practical activities by pharmacists in response to COVID-19. RESULTS We identified 30 eligible studies. Meta-analysis of these studies found that the most commonly reported adaptation in pharmacist practice activities was modifying hygiene behaviors, including regular cleaning and disinfection (81.89%), followed by maintaining social distance from staff and clients (76.37%). Educating clients on COVID-19 was reported by 22 studies (72.54%). Telemedicine and home delivery services were provided to clients by 49.03 and 41.98% of pharmacists, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The roles of community pharmacists in public health activities have adapted and expanded in response to COVID-19, notably by incorporating public health education activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Kambayashi
- grid.412579.c0000 0001 2180 2836Laboratory of Pharmacy Practice, Center for Education and Research on Clinical Pharmacy, Showa Pharmaceutical University, Machida, Tokyo 194-8543 Japan ,grid.260433.00000 0001 0728 1069Department of Medical Innovation, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 467-8601 Japan
| | - Toshie Manabe
- grid.260433.00000 0001 0728 1069Department of Medical Innovation, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Aichi 467-8601 Japan ,grid.260433.00000 0001 0728 1069Center for Clinical Research, Nagoya City University West Medical Center, Nagoya, Aichi 462-8508 Japan
| | - Masayoshi Hirohara
- grid.412579.c0000 0001 2180 2836Laboratory of Pharmacy Practice, Center for Education and Research on Clinical Pharmacy, Showa Pharmaceutical University, Machida, Tokyo 194-8543 Japan
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Wongvedvanij R, Darawong C. Patients’ perception toward the service quality of community pharmacies for non-prescription medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/20479700.2022.2105900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ramida Wongvedvanij
- Graduate College of Management, Sripatum University Chonburi Campus, Muang, Thailand
| | - Chonlatis Darawong
- Graduate College of Management, Sripatum University Chonburi Campus, Muang, Thailand
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Wu Y, Zhang Q, Li M, Mao Q, Li L. Global Experiences of Community Responses to COVID-19: A Systematic Literature Review. Front Public Health 2022; 10:907732. [PMID: 35928483 PMCID: PMC9343721 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.907732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective This study aimed to conduct a systematic review of the global experiences of community responses to the COVID-19 epidemic. Method Five electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, and Web of Science) were searched for peer-reviewed articles published in English, from inception to October 10, 2021. Two reviewers independently reviewed titles, abstracts, and full texts. A systematic review (with a scientific strategy for literature search and selection in the electronic databases applied to data collection) was used to investigate the experiences of community responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results This review reported that community responses to COVID-19 consisted mainly of five ways. On the one hand, community-based screening and testing for Coronavirus was performed; on the other hand, the possible sources of transmission in communities were identified and cut off. In addition, communities provided medical aid for patients with mild cases of COVID-19. Moreover, social support for community residents, including material and psychosocial support, was provided to balance epidemic control and prevention and its impact on residents' lives. Last and most importantly, special care was provided to vulnerable residents during the epidemic. Conclusion This study systematically reviewed how communities to respond to COVID-19. The findings presented some practical and useful tips for communities still overwhelmed by COVID-19 to deal with the epidemic. Also, some community-based practices reported in this review could provide valuable experiences for community responses to future epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijin Wu
- Center for Medical Humanities in the Developing World, School of Translation Studies, Qufu Normal University, Rizhao, China
| | - Quan Zhang
- School of International Affairs and Public Administration, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
- Centre for Quality of Life and Public Policy, Shandong University, Qingdao, China
| | - Meiyu Li
- School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, China
| | - Qingduo Mao
- School of International Affairs and Public Administration, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, China
| | - Linzi Li
- Rizhao Maternal and Child Health Hospital, Rizhao, China
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Ghibu S, Juncan AM, Rus LL, Frum A, Dobrea CM, Chiş AA, Gligor FG, Morgovan C. The Particularities of Pharmaceutical Care in Improving Public Health Service during the COVID-19 Pandemic. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:9776. [PMID: 34574698 PMCID: PMC8468206 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18189776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 09/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Nowadays, humanity is confronted with one of the most difficult challenges. Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was identified for the first time in Hubei, China in December 2019 and produced the COVID-19 pandemic, a devastating disease that led to many complications and deaths. The authorities and the global healthcare system have been alerted regarding the prevention and treatment of this pathology. Even though worldwide quarantine was declared, health care professionals, including pharmacists, have been at the frontline in this war. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the authorities relied on the involvement of the community, hospital, or clinical pharmacists in offering support to the entire population. Also, the authorities implemented measures for emergency authorization of the vaccines, or the drugs used in COVID-19 treatment. In order to facilitate the population's access to healthcare services, the authorities have established regulations regarding, the extension of prescriptions by pharmacists, working hours, prevention of shortages and price-increase, drive-thru services, etc. However, several countries have taken financial measures to support the pharmacies' activity. At the same time, pharmaceutical associations elaborated guidelines for the protection of pharmacists and patients alike. Additionally, the pharmacies have come to support the health system and patients by adapting pharmaceutical care to the new needs like preparation and supply of disinfectants, patient care, information, and counseling, especially to COVID-19 patients, as well as the implementation of home drugs-delivery systems. The important roles played by pharmacists were to perform COVID-19 tests and further vaccines, as well as to combat the abundance of misinformation and fake news. The clinical and hospital pharmacy services have also been adapted. Strengthening the role of the pharmacist in the medical team was important for the purpose of providing correct and complete information regarding drugs used in the COVID-19 pathology. In all these activities, pharmacists needed creativity and professionalism, but also the support of pharmacy owners and managers. With this crisis, pharmaceutical care has entered a new phase, demonstrating the ability of pharmacists to be competent and accessible providers of public health. Based on this information, we conducted a narrative review whose purpose was to identify the impact of the authorities' decisions on pharmaceutical practice, the involvement of professional associations, and the responsibilities of the pharmacy owners and management. On the other hand, we performed a global assessment on the pharmaceutical care services provided by community pharmacists as well as by clinical or hospital pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steliana Ghibu
- Department of Pharmacology, Physiology and Pathophysiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, “Iuliu Haţieganu” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 6A Louis Pasteur Street, 400349 Cluj-Napoca, Romania;
| | - Anca Maria Juncan
- Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, 2A Lucian Blaga St., 550169 Sibiu, Romania; (A.M.J.); (L.L.R.); (A.F.); (C.M.D.); (F.G.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Luca Liviu Rus
- Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, 2A Lucian Blaga St., 550169 Sibiu, Romania; (A.M.J.); (L.L.R.); (A.F.); (C.M.D.); (F.G.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Adina Frum
- Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, 2A Lucian Blaga St., 550169 Sibiu, Romania; (A.M.J.); (L.L.R.); (A.F.); (C.M.D.); (F.G.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Carmen Maximiliana Dobrea
- Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, 2A Lucian Blaga St., 550169 Sibiu, Romania; (A.M.J.); (L.L.R.); (A.F.); (C.M.D.); (F.G.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Adriana Aurelia Chiş
- Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, 2A Lucian Blaga St., 550169 Sibiu, Romania; (A.M.J.); (L.L.R.); (A.F.); (C.M.D.); (F.G.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Felicia Gabriela Gligor
- Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, 2A Lucian Blaga St., 550169 Sibiu, Romania; (A.M.J.); (L.L.R.); (A.F.); (C.M.D.); (F.G.G.); (C.M.)
| | - Claudiu Morgovan
- Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, 2A Lucian Blaga St., 550169 Sibiu, Romania; (A.M.J.); (L.L.R.); (A.F.); (C.M.D.); (F.G.G.); (C.M.)
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Baratta F, Ciccolella M, Brusa P. The Relationship between Customers and Community Pharmacies during the COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) Pandemic: A Survey from Italy. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18189582. [PMID: 34574509 PMCID: PMC8470071 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18189582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Community pharmacies are among the most easily accessible health services. Considering the major impact of COVID-19 in social terms, the purpose was to analyse the evolution of the relationship between community pharmacies and customers during the pandemic in 2020 and to understand which strategies should be implemented in the future. The data have been collected from May to December 2020. Pharmacists administered a questionnaire, also available online, to all customers that agreed to participate. The total number of respondents was 502. The results obtained confirm a generally high level of satisfaction with pharmacies among customers and appreciation for the role of community pharmacies. For the future, the priority is to monitor the situation to break down social inequalities. A task that can be entrusted to the branch of the healthcare service ideally suited to this end: local medicine, of which the community pharmacy is an essential element. The post-pandemic pharmacy will need to have the skills to provide accurate and reliable information on issues, including broad topics such as prevention and lifestyle to fight “syndemic” (two or more factors that work together to make a disease worse) and “infodemic” (too much information including false or misleading information during a disease outbreak).
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Baratta
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Turin, Italy;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-011-670-66-65
| | | | - Paola Brusa
- Department of Drug Science and Technology, University of Turin, Via Pietro Giuria 9, 10125 Turin, Italy;
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Derqui B, Filimonau V, Matute J. Assessing the scale of adoption of sustainability practices by community pharmacies in Spain in the time of COVID-19. SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION 2021; 27:1626-1636. [PMID: 36118164 PMCID: PMC9464268 DOI: 10.1016/j.spc.2021.03.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Community pharmacies play a critical societal role and are well placed to enable the progress of national health systems towards sustainability. Nevertheless, there is a dearth of research which has been set up to understand sustainability practices adopted by community pharmacies and evaluate the drivers behind their adoption. This study undertook an exploratory analysis of 95 community pharmacies in Spain, measured their engagement with sustainability practices and assessed these practices in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results demonstrated the room for improvement in the adoption of green procurement practices in pharmacies and in their engagement with the community. Moreover, the study showcased that, during the COVID-19 crisis, the pharmacies with the largest extent of adoption of sustainability practices implemented preventative measures against the pandemic in a more diverse number during the first weeks of the lockdown, compared to their less sustainable counterparts. This indicates that, to build resilience to future (health) crises, the implementation of sustainable practices in community pharmacies should be encouraged by both policy makers and pharmaceutical firms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Belén Derqui
- Department of Business Management, IQS School of Management, Universitat Ramon Llull
| | | | - Jorge Matute
- Department of Business Management, IQS School of Management, Universitat Ramon Llull
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