Development of Community Pharmacies in Roi-Et Province for Registration as Pharmaceutical Referral Units under the National Health Security Office (NHSO)

Abstract

Purposes: This study aimed to enhance and develop quality of community pharmacies serving as pharmaceutical referral units in Roi Et Province.

Study design: An action research design was employed.

Materials and Methods: The target group comprised 23 community pharmacies located in 10 districts, all of which met the registration criteria under the pilot initiative of Thailand’s Universal Health Coverage Scheme (“30-Baht Treatment with a Single ID Card”). These pharmacies provided services for 16 minor ailments and dispensed medications for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Data were collected using service log forms and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics percentage, mean, and standard deviation—while qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis.

Main findings: A total of 48 pharmacies were officially registered as service units. Of these, 27 pharmacies (56.25%) completed service training and received certification from the Pharmacy Council of Thailand. Collectively, they served 51,790 patients across 105,924 visits for minor ailments. The majority of clients were female (64.30%) and aged between 45 and 64 years (38.92%). The most common presenting symptoms were respiratory-related cough, fever, and sore throat (51.91%). Follow-up within 72 hours showed that 33.94% of patients had fully recovered, 54.38% reported improved symptoms, 2.19% showed no improvement, and 1.75% were referred to other healthcare providers. For NCD-related services, only 13 pharmacies provided care to 197 patients, accounting for 784 service visits.

Conclusion and Recommendations: The study highlights that community pharmacies can serve as effective providers of primary healthcare services when supported by consistent policy frameworks and capacity-building measures.