Pharmaceuticals management and service patterns in elementary school and opportunity expansion schools of Ratchaburi province

Abstract

The Studies has objectives is to survey and compare the pharmaceuticals management and service patterns between elementary schools with opportunity expansion schools in the Office of Educational Service Area of Ratchaburi province. Methods: This research was a cross-sectional survey study. The questionnaires and survey forms were using to collected the data from 322 randomly chosen school and teachers or whom that serviced in the first aid room of school between October, 2022 to January, 2023. Collected data included pharmaceuticals serviced management patterns, characteristics, knowledge, behavior and attitude of teachers or whom that service in the first aid room, medicinal item in the first aid room. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and compared between elementary schools and opportunity expansion schools. Results: A total of 201 schools (93.49%) were response and included to analysis (62.42% of all targeted schools). Almost school (98.01%) had authorized teacher for service in the first aid room. Apart from the authorized teachers, other people also reported to prescribing medicinal in the first aid room. It was found 77.11% of authorized teachers never attended a pharmaceutical training program that may result to a lack of confidence in medicinal used. However, knowledge, behavior and attitude scores for medicinal use of authorized teachers were found to be in good range. A total of 169 the first aid room were survey, expired drugs were found in 31 schools (18.79%), non-over the counter drugs which from purchased and donated were found in 131 schools (79.39%). A total of 69 schools received donated drugs (41.82%). Amount of authorized teachers, amount of students-to-authorized teacher ratio, mean of authorized teachers who completed a pharmaceutical training program and mean of non-over the counter pharmaceuticals in opportunity expansion schools were considerably greater in opportunity expansion school than elementary school. Amount of non-authorized teachers who prescribing medicinal in the first add room considerably greater in elementary school than opportunity expansion school. Conclusions: We found medicinal management and service problem in school and mention that immediately pharmaceutical training program need to provide for teacher and student in school. The establishment of a pharmaceutical system in school from upstream (such as medicinal selection, handling process and storage) to downstream (such as drug administration and monitoring) with the responsible officer network corporation are very important in long term management plan to promote rational drug use and safety.