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Knowledge, Attitude and Advice-Giving Behaviour of Community Pharmacists Regarding Topical Corticosteroids

Lookup NU author(s): Dr Wing Man LauORCiD

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Abstract

This study examines the relationship between community pharmacists’ knowledge, attitudes to information provision and self-reported counselling behaviours in relation to topical corticosteroids and adjunct therapy in atopic eczema. A mixed-methods approach was used whereby data from interviews with community pharmacists were used to design a structured questionnaire that a larger sample of community pharmacists completed anonymously. The questionnaire was completed and returned by 105 pharmacists (36% response rate). Pharmacists showed gaps in their knowledge on the use of topical corticosteroids in atopic eczema but had good understanding on the use of emollients. There was a significant correlation between pharmacists’ attitudes to information provision and their self-reported counselling behaviour for most themes except in relation to corticosteroid safety where less advice was given. Improving attitudes to information provision should correlate with increased counselling behaviour. However, for the theme of corticosteroid safety, further studies are needed to examine why in practice pharmacists are not providing patient counselling on this topic even though most agreed this is a topic patients should know about.

Publication metadata

Author(s): Lau WM, Donyai P

Publication type: Article

Publication status: Published

Journal: Pharmacy

Year: 2017

Volume: 5

Issue: 3

Pages: 41

Online publication date: 25/07/2017

Acceptance date: 23/07/2017

Date deposited: 15/11/2017

ISSN (electronic): 2226-4787

Publisher: MDPI

URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy5030041

DOI: 10.3390/pharmacy5030041

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