Qualitative Research on the Role of Pharmacy Entrepreneurs on Public Health in the Eastern Economic Corridor of Thailand

Abstract

This qualitative research aims to 1) explore the roles and responsibilities of pharmacy entrepreneurs in the Eastern Economic Corridor of Thailand towards public health and 2) to explore the success factors of operating a pharmacy business. There were 20 key informants, consisting of 3 nurses owning business, 15 drugstore pharmacists, and 2 drugstore managers. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using content analysis. Data were collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed by using content analysis.
The results of the research found that 1) the role of pharmacy entrepreneurs is divided into 6 areas, including drug management, health promotion and disease prevention, providing advice of taking medicine, chronic disease management, inspection, and monitoring, and promoting public health activities, and 2) factors that affect the success of sustainable pharmacy business operations. There are 8 factors, including compliance with regulations, quality certification, customer service, stock management, applying technology to business, service expansion, joining the community, and financial management.
The recommendations are as follows: (1) Drugstore operators working in primary care in Thailand should be developed in 6 areas: 1) Drug management, 2) Health promotion and disease prevention, 3) Counseling on medication adherence, 4) Chronic disease management, 5) Monitoring and follow-up, and 6) Community health activities to increase efficiency in community health care and to provide guidelines for drugstore operators to manage their drugstore businesses for sustainable success. (2) Emphasis should be placed on service models that build trust among patients so that patients will provide confidential information to pharmacists, which will increase treatment efficiency and promote community health in disease prevention. (3) Knowledge should be developed to keep up with emerging diseases and changing natural environments, such as global warming, melting of polar ice caps, and changes caused by human activities, such as wars, economic downturns, chemical spill emergencies, etc., to increase drugstore operators’ business success and improve community health in the new normal era.