Essential Roles and Skills of Pharmacists in Promoting the Use of General Sale Herbal Medicines

Abstract

Objective: To collect the opinions of herbal scholars and pharmacists on the roles and skills of pharmacists needed to promote the use of general sale herbal medicines. Methods: This study was a qualitative study in 15 scholars and pharmacists working on the promotion of the use of medicines selected by purposive and snowball samplings. Data collection was conducted using semi-structured interviews until reaching data saturation. The research was conducted during January-April 2021. Results: Necessary roles of pharmacists in promoting the use of general sale herbal medicines could be classified into 3 groups including 1) roles towards patients and public; 2) roles in production and formulation of herbal medicines, and 3) roles in policy making and driving related work. Skills of pharmacists in promoting the use of general sale herbal medicines could be classified into 5groups including communication skills, information giving skills, research skills, management skills, and skills on the production of herbal products. Conclusions: The study revealed the roles and skills of pharmacists needed to promote the use of general sale herbal medicines for physicians to gain confidence in prescribing, for public to become knowledgeable and be safe in the use of herbal medicines, and for policy to be developed in promoting the use of herbal medicines. Such information can be used to suggest approaches for further development of the profession.