Pharmaceutical Services in Community Pharmacy in East Jakarta

Abstract

The objective of this study was to primarily focus on description of delivery of health care services by community pharmacies in terms of Good Pharmacy Practice and customer knowledge and perception about self-medication in East Jakarta Municipality. A cross-sectional study design using structured questionnaire was done to describe the good pharmacy practice in community pharmacy and self-medication practice among the customers. Questionnaire was developed based on the four elements of good pharmacy practice. For customers, scores for self-medication practice was divided into information from pharmacies (Score 1) and their knowledge about the drug they bought at interviewing time (Score 2). Ninety eight pharmacists and 294 customers were interviewed in this study. As a conclusion in terms of good pharmacy practice, 69.4% of pharmacies were concluded less than good. A significant association was found between job status of pharmacist, frequency of pharmacist practice, type of pharmacy and number of prescription with good pharmacy practice. From customers, 88.1% of respondents got information from pharmacies (Score 1) less or equal to 4, while 79.6% of the customer knowledge (Score 2) higher or equal to 5. The summary for self-medication practice was fair in 71.8% customers. The association was found significantly in education and income of customer with knowledge of customer (Score 2). By Spearman correlation test, there was a significant association between information from pharmacies (Score 1) and good pharmacy practice. In conclusion, the practice of community pharmacy in East Jakarta was less than good; the self-medication practice among customer in East Jakarta also less than good. There is a gap in education/information practice to customers that can be fulfilled by pharmacist in the community.